Multiplayertale
by AngelPines
Summary: Frisk was determined to hike Mount Ebott. The reason, Andi didn't exactly know. That was before they fell down. Now, the child's acting different. Hiding secrets, alongside the few residents of the monster world who seemed to know more than they let on. Did she know something she didn't, and why did they think it was best for her to remain ignorant?
1. Once Upon a Time

**Disclaimer: I had announced years ago that I wanted to make a complete revision of an old Undertale story of mine. Since then, I've been able to plot out the changes that would make it a much more enjoyable read, with different events, better descriptions, and more plot detail that the other lacked. And now, finally, I'm able to put that plan into action. **

**This... is Multiplayertale.**

**I own Andrea/Andi, not Undertale.**

"Speaking"

_Thinking_

**Saving**

"**Reading**"

* * *

Thousands of years ago, there were two races that ruled over the Earth: humans and monsters.

These two species lived together in peace, with any conflict being minimal at best. While they looked completely different, there was something else that greatly separated them. Something that went much deeper than the surface.

A monster's soul made up their entire being, making it very weak and susceptible to damage. Because of this, the moment a monster died, their soul disappears, and they crumble into dust. The only exception were what they called 'boss monsters'. A boss monster's soul could remain even after death, but not for very long. Eventually, it too, would break apart.

A human's soul though, resided inside a physical body, so their physical attacks were that much stronger than that of a monster's. Every human has a certain quality to their soul that makes them who they are, whether it's kindness, perseverance, or the most valued of all... determination.

However, one day, war broke out between the two races.

The reason why had since been long forgotten, lost in time. No one seemed to recall the exact purpose. However, a majority of humans believed it was because monsters and humans could absorb each others souls. A human with a monster soul was not worth much as it took hundreds of monsters souls to equal the power of one single human.

A monster with a human soul on the other hand, would change them into a terrifying beast with unimaginable power, and make them unstoppable. The humans, scared of this idea, declared war against them.

After a long and gruesome battle that waged for years, the humans were victorious. Countless monsters were slain, and not a single human soul was taken. The only kind act that came out of the war for the monsters was that the humans had gathered seven magicians to create a barrier under Mount Ebott, sealing them off from the outside world. Anyone could get in, but only someone with a monster and a human soul could get out.

Centuries had passed, and the story slowly faded into myth. Legend. No one could recall that monsters even existed anymore, now thought to be nothing more than mere stories. All that remained now, one inescapable fact, was that anyone who so foolishly climbed the mountain… would never be seen again.

However, there are some… brave, foolish, or otherwise... who still believed.

* * *

A young girl, snug in a blue and purple striped sweater and jean shorts jogged through the woods, skipping over the rocky and almost overgrown trail happily. "F… Frisk! Can you please slow down?" The child came to a stop at a large rock sitting in the middle of the path, and turned around at the sound of her name, brushing a strand of short brown hair out of her face.

"Should've packed lighter." Another person lagged behind her, carrying a worn brown bag on her back and a hiking pole in her grip. Pine needles were stuck to her sky blue sweater from the branches that caught on the fabric, and patches of dirt were smeared on the knees of her jeans. "You could have kept me company instead of running ahead, you know?"

Frisk stuck her tongue out, and the woman rolled her eyes. "Oh, so you're funny now, huh?" _I'm too tired for this.__ It is way too early for hiking._

Frisk skipped back down to meet her, grinning. "Andi?" She asked, voice barely above a whisper. "You think we're close?"

"Maybe." Andi looked around, before focusing further up the hill. "Little more uphill, and there should be a clearing. That's what the maps show anyway. Let's aim for that and take a break." Adjusting her bag, Andi continued walking, this time with Frisk staying beside her. It wasn't her real name, Andi, but at this point, the nickname the kid had given her years ago stuck. She liked it though, as it was short and to the point, unlike the slightly longer Andrea. _Just like__ Frisk._ _Short and to the point._

She had known the kid for years, almost Frisk's entire life. She was just entering high school, only giving vague thoughts about which college to apply to, when she heard about the quiet infant joining them. Her background was never made clear to her and the others, and Andi didn't request to known the details. She respected Frisk's privacy, as she did for the others. There was only her and one other child at the time, and while she knew the Jennings could handle things when she finally left, Andi had stuck around to assist her foster family.

She wasn't being supported anymore, having to get her own job and apartment, but helped out in paying for groceries now and again. Kids came and went, but Frisk remained, and so did she, for nine happy years.

Frisk grew, and while she never did completely outgrow her quietness, she developed a bit of an adventurous personality. Going out for hikes, camping; she wanted to be outdoors all the time. As her friend-slash-adult figure, she usually had to go along to keep her out of trouble. Both Mr. and Mrs. Jennings, while adoring the young girl, had trouble keeping up with her. Frisk, when she wanted to, could have a lot of energy. Which, unfortunately, was why Andi found herself hiking up the side of Mount Ebott on a cool autumn afternoon, slipping on the damp fallen leaves and gripping onto the pole to avoid falling over and back down the trail.

Spotting the sunlight peaking through the orange and yellow canopy farther ahead, Andi grinned tiredly at Frisk. "Hey, kid. Race you?" Frisk smiled, and the two began sprinting towards the clearing; Frisk had a very obvious lead. The kid skid to a stop, spinning around as her friend finally reached her. "Alright, you win," she panted. Not her fault she had the bag. If Frisk was carrying it, she would have fallen over from the weight.

Dropping it to the ground, she stretched her back. "Would you look at that view." The trees parted enough at this point in the trail for them to see the town far below, the noise of traffic barely noticeable at their current distance.

She loved this. It was a sight not many others had seen, due to the... rather bad history Mount Ebott had. People had gone missing, and it was hard not to ignore that. Every time it happened, people would comb the area, but a body was could never be found. The last time that had happened, she was a child like Frisk. But they had a trail, which was created at some point over the years. Either before people went missing, or otherwise. Rumors still strongly suggested that they should have chosen another location to hike, but Frisk was determined to go to Mount Ebott.

_And when Frisk has her heart set on something, she can't be persuaded. _Frisk looked around, searching the landscape all around her, before locking onto an area of the mountain behind her. Behind some of the larger pines growing up against a rocky outcrop, was a cave with vines growing along the boulders settled by the entrance. "Andi? Look." She pointed at the cave, and the woman straightened up in alert.

"A cave?" In regards to the rumors, a cave was not what she expected to find. When people had gone missing, she always suspected it being they had gotten lost, or starved, or there was a landslide. A cave was far from what she had imagined. _Unless we're on the wrong side of the mountain, but it was always our town where it happened. _They had to have been on the right side. "Hmmm… do you think there's any monsters in there?" Frisk giggled as Andi made a small growl, breaking into a laugh and ruffling Frisk's hair.

"Can we?" Frisk's voice picked up in volume at the question, looking from the cave to her in anticipation. Andi looked from the cave entrance herself, biting her lip. _Should __we__?_ It didn't seem like it would harm them. It was just a cave, and it didn't look that deep to begin with, so why not? If it proved a bad idea, they could just walk out.

She nodded, and put the bag back on, adjusting the straps. "Alright, kid, but be careful. I don't want you getting hurt, okay?" Frisk nodded happily, and took her free hand. Together, they approached the cavern, and stepped into the darkness. The hollow wasn't that huge, as she predicted, but it still caught her attention. A giant hole, smack dab in the middle of the ground. A small hole in the ceiling let sunlight drip into the room, and more of the vines she saw from outside crawled out of the abyss before them. _That's a lot of vines_, Andi noted. _Forget that, that's a big hole. _Frisk let go of her hand, and moved closer. "Frisk, be careful. I don't want you falling in there."

Frisk nodded, seemingly in a daze. She stood almost at the very edge, and leaned over to look down. "O-okay, that's enough." She was done with letting her get that close. "Frisk, back away from there slowly, okay?" Frisk silently backed up, turning around to face Andi. "Come on, it's time to go ho-" Andi didn't have time to finish. To both of their horror though, Frisk's ankle got wrapped around one of the vines, and with a tug, slingshot her backwards. "Frisk!"

"Andi!" The girl's screams echoed around them as she watched Frisk plummet, further and further into the abyss. Without a second thought, Andi ran and dove in after her, throwing the cane off to the side as the darkness swallowed her up. The momentum whipped her long auburn hair around, and between the gaps, she reached out below her and latched onto Frisk's arm.

"Whatever you do, don't let go!" Andi yelled. The child nodded furiously, frightened tears flying up into the air around them. Frisk pulled herself closer to Andi, climbing up her arm and gripped onto her torso. Wrapping her arms around the child, Andi positioned herself so her back was facing the ground. Time was not known, and she had no idea how long they fell for. Seconds, or minutes, but whatever the answer was didn't matter. The ground, once so far away, was now speeding up to greet with with open arms.

"Aah!" Bracing herself, Andi tucked her head in, body tensing for the moment she smashed against hard rock. Instead… n-nothing? _I-what? __Where__'s__ the bone crushing impact?_

"Y… yellow." She was lying in yellow. Why yellow? Where was the red that's supposed to come with blood and injuries? "Err... ow." Letting go of Frisk, who had slumped to the ground exhausted, she shakily pushed herself up and looked down. Golden flowers, buttercups perhaps, bloomed in a large patch under her. They… they broke their fall. A trembling laugh escaped her, and she dropped back down. "Wait-Frisk! Frisk, are you alright?"

Frisk shook her head, making the few flowers fall out of her hair. Giving her friend a small but nervous smile, Andi breathed a sigh of relief. "That's… good. Th-that's good. Yeah, okay. Now… where are we?" They leaned back, stretching their necks, looking up from where they fell. The sunlight seemed so far away now, barely lighting up the cavern they fell in. Broken marble pillars stood around the edge of the cave, with plants growing up over them. High, high above their heads was the exit, now a faint blip of white light that was out of their reach. "Dang," Andi whispered. "We're stuck."

With wobbly legs, she stood up once again. Her bag had still stayed with her during the trip, and the pole was lying at the edge of the flowerbed, right by a dark tunnel. "Frisk?" She looked up at her. "I hate to say this, but we're gonna have to… we're gonna have to keep moving further into this place. Staying here won't solve anything. No one's going to find us, so if we want out, we'll have to do it ourselves. Think you're up for it?"

Frisk gave her a thumbs up, and dashed over to the pole. Picking it up, she handed it to Andi as she walked over. "Thanks. Let's go." The tunnel wasn't so dark. Enough light from above lit their path, and had led them to a decorative archway. "What is that symbol?" Andi looked at the top of the door, studying the carving, and shrugged. _It's not important. _

Frisk moved first through the door, and the teen followed. Another hole high above them fed light into the next cavern. The only thing in there besides the rocky walls, and several more broken pillars, was a patch of grass in the middle of the room, with a single buttercup. _Is that… how hard did I hit my head? _Andi squinted at the flower, her grip tightening around the handle. _That flower looks like it's smiling at us._

"Howdy!" Andi stumbled back in shock as the flower spoke. Frisk stepped back too, put kept a more calm approach than her guardian. _Talking flower__!? __Those myths were real!? _She had heard about them, the legend about the mountain, but that was all it was! A legend! Monsters weren't real! She-yeah, she just hit her head on impact. This was all a dream, that's all! "I'm Flowey, Flowey the Flower! Hee hee hee…"

"H-hi?" Andi squeaked. With her free hand, she pulled Frisk against her.

"Hmmm… you two are new to the Underground, aren'tcha? Golly, you must be confused." _Well, that's putting it lightly._ Frisk seemed less nervous than she was, but it could be because of her being so young. Children enjoyed fantasy stuff like this. "Someone ought to teach you two how things work around here," the plant suggested. "I guess little old me will have to do. Ready? Here we go!"

Something about his nasally voice rubbed her the wrong way. Not from how it sounded, exactly, but there was... something behind it. Something wrong. Andi glared at him, before feeling an odd tugging inside… of her? _What?_ Gasping, she let go of Frisk as a heart drifted out of her. Not a normal heart with an aorta and four chambers, but an actual cartoon styled heart. _This… isn't normal. _Frisk's heart, which had come out alongside hers, was a ruby red. Hers, on the other hand, was different. True, she had red in her heart too, but there was an equal amount of light blue mixed in there too. The two colors swirled about, but never overlapped too much. Just enough to have a thin line going through them keeping them separate.

"Golly, I've never seen a soul with two traits before!" Flowey announced. Andi cupped her heart closer to her chest. She did not like the way that weed was watching it. Rather… hungrily. "See those hearts? Those are your souls, the very culmination your your being!"

She believed souls were real, but she didn't plan on having them appear like that. _Sort of figured it'd be a ball of light or something. _Frisk smiled, watching the glow from the heart wind around her fingers as her hand was held out under it. "This is so weird," Andi whispered to Frisk.

"Your soul starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV. What's LV stand for? Why, LOVE, of course! You want some LOVE, don't you?" No, no she didn't. She didn't want anything this flower was offering. Frisk looked up at Andi, seeing how defensive she was. "Don't worry, I'll share some with you!" He winked. "Down here, LOVE is shared through… little white… friendliness pellets." Said pellets, which looked a lot like seeds appeared above him, spinning in a circle. "Are you ready? Move around! Get as many as you can!"

Frisk grabbed Andi's hand, and pulled her to the side as the pellets swished past them. Good, the kid knew how off this was too. "Hey buddies, you missed them. Let's try again, okay?" His happy expression dropped a little, and he fired more pellets at them. This time, Andi was ready. The soul moved to the side with her, and the now clear attack missed. Frisk moved to the other side, keeping herself from being hit.

"Is this a joke? Are you two braindead? RUN. INTO. THE. BULLETS!" _A__ha__!_ Andi gripped her pole tighter, seeing his slip-up. "Friendliness pellets," he quickly corrected, masking the brief anger that spilled onto his face.

No way, she wasn't sticking around for this. Gripping the pole with both hands, she whacked the bullets away, sending them straight back at Flowey. The plant ducked to avoid them, and sprung back up to give her a malicious grin.

She ticked off the flower.

_Oh no. _"You know what's going on here, don't you? You just wanted to see me suffer." Frisk ducked behind Andi, holding onto the bag as she held the stick out in front of her for the next wave of bullets.

"Brace yourself, Frisk," Andi warned. She knew they wouldn't be able to outrun the plant. There was only two ways out of the space they were in, and the sneaking fear of the plant having more powers than just mere bullets kept her frozen in place.

The plant's face melted into a demonic and malicious grin, revealing rows of sharp, pointed teeth. "**Die**." A large ring of bullets surrounded them, trapping them in. Cackling, the attack homed in, and Andi felt Frisk's grip tighten on her back. _Death by sadistic flower. Huh. Not the way I planned on dying, but it could be worse, _she thought humorlessly.

Closing her eyes, she readied herself for him to strike, but realized the flower had stopped laughing. The circle of bullets had vanished, and Flowey looked to the side in disgust. Before he could say anything, a quick blast of fire knocked into him, making him fly across the room and away from them. "Wh... what was that?" Panting, they saw a shadow approach from further in the cave, from the entrance they had not yet passed through.

"D-don't come any closer!" She yelled. "I-I'm serious!" _A… goat?_ N-no, it was another monster. She was much taller than Andi was, the adult probably only reaching her shoulders. She was also wearing a long purple dress with white sleeves, and that same symbol from that door was stitched on the front surrounded by a blue background. An orb between two feathery wings, and three triangles beneath it, the central one being inverted. _But what does it mean? _Amber eyes filled with pity gazed at them, keeping a small distance just as Andi wanted, and offered them a warm smile.

"What a terrible creature, torturing such poor, innocent youths." Frisk poked her head out from behind Andi, and beamed up at the newcomer. _Why __are you__ all of a sudden so cheerful?_ This monster could attack and trick them just as that flower did, so what was with the quick change in attitude? The goat lady looked at Andi, seeing how defensive she was, and laughed. "Ah, do not be afraid, my dear. I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins. I pass through this place every day to see if anyone has fallen down. You two are the first humans to have come here in a long time."

_Wait, did that mean…_ "there's been others before us?" Andi asked hopefully. "We can get out?"

"Come! I will guide you through the catacombs." _She's avoiding __my__ question._ They could leave, right If the myths about the monsters were right, then there was a way in that didn't involve dropping through a hole. There must have been another exit. "This way." Toriel turned around, and began heading towards the other door.

"Here, Frisk." Andi hooked the pole onto the bag, leaving her hands free. Taking the child's hand, she led them after Toriel, but not before giving a brief look in the direction Flowey was knocked to. _Hmph. _She didn't trust Toriel, even though the reading she got off her was far better than Flowey's, but… the kid did, for some weird reason. That was enough for now. The archway led into a brightly lit room, confusing her. Where was the light coming from? There were no more holes in the ceiling… roof? _What is this place? _The entire area was purple, and a large pile of fallen leaves sat below a balcony which Toriel had gone up to, with stairs on either side. "Huh? What's this?"

A yellow star sparkled in the middle of the leaf pile, hovering a foot of the ground. Did Toriel not notice this? Or was it just not that important? _What is this thing? _Frisk reached forward with her free hand and touched the star, watching as the glow wrapped around her. **The shadow of the ruins looms above you, filling you with determination. **"The heck? What was that?" That… that wasn't said out loud. Those words were… inside her head. _What is going on here?_ "C-come on, Frisk. We don't want to lose Toriel, do we?"

They climbed the stairs, and entered the next room. A locked door, a yellow lever, and several gray foot panels met them. "Welcome to your new home," Toriel announced as they finally joined her. New home? Well, she's nice and all, but what exactly did she mean by that? Did she expect them to stay there with her? "Allow me to educate you in the operation of the Ruins." Toriel walked over four panels, before proceeding to the lever and pulling it. The door opened up, letting them access the next area. "The Ruins are full of puzzles. Ancient fusions between diversions and door keys. One must solve them to move from room to room. Please adjust yourselves to the sight of them."

Nodding in a confused understanding, they went to follow Toriel to the next area. Andi paused to read a sign on the side of the door. "**Only the fearless may proceed. Brave ones, foolish ones. Both walk not the middle road.**" _What did-oh. Oh, clever!_ "She didn't step on the buttons in the middle. Not a bad puzzle."

Frisk giggled, seeing her behavior pick up. Catching up with Toriel, she turned to face them. "To make progress here, you will need to trigger several switches. Do not worry, I have labeled the ones you need to flip." That was all it took to send Frisk running around the hall, pulling the levers. Toriel walked over to a path of spikes, and Andi hesitantly joined her. "Excuse me, dear?" Toriel addressed her. "But how old are you?"

That was an unusual question. Andi blinked, but answered anyway. "I'm twenty-four. Is that surprising?" _Because it actually seemed like you were expecting Frisk more than me._ Toriel smiled pitifully, and shook her head.

"It has been ages since anyone has seen a human as old as you. Sadly, it is usually the children who fall into the Underground." _Children?_ She knew people had gotten lost, but… did that mean all of those stories about disappearances were because they fell down here? All of them were… children? A knot formed in her stomach at the idea. The urgency rising to a high level. I_ ha__ve__ to get Frisk out of here._

"I'm sorry, Toriel. I've heard tales about the mountain's history, but I never knew more about the people who went missing. Still... at least she never fell alone." _Frisk isn't alone in this. _Toriel patted her head, and Andi smiled genuinely at her. Toriel wasn't… evil, she decided. Just lonely. _I can sort of relate to that. _

Frisk came running back over to them, and Andi watched the spikes behind them lower into the ground. "Splendid! I am proud of you, little one! Let us move to the next room." It wasn't really a new room, but more of the same hall that was now accessible. Toriel stood by the wall, and Andi and Frisk looked at the training dummy in confusion. "As humans living in the Underground, monsters will attack you." _Like Flowey_, the woman thought, giving a small frown. "You will need to be prepared for this situation. However, worry not! The process is simple. When you encounter a monster, you will enter a fight. While you are in a fight, strike up a friendly conversation. Stall for time. I will come to resolve the conflict. Practice talking to the dummy."

Frisk and Andi looked at each other, and walked up to the dummy. This was weird, but if it made Toriel happy…

Their souls drifted out, and Andi could only guess that it was a normal occurrence when fighting down there. Or perhaps it was around monsters in general? _It only happened when that weed began to attack, so it's probably the first one. _"I'll go, I guess." Andi moved closer, and cleared her throat. "Hello, dear dummy. Why, are you feeling alright? You appear to be coming apart at the stitches." Frisk giggled into her hands, and Toriel laughed at the pun. _So she like__s __jokes__ too__, huh?_ She could appreciate that. The only reason she could dish them out was because Mrs. Jennings enjoyed them, telling them to earn laughs from the previous children. "How was that?"

Toriel took a few breaths to calm down, and smiled back at her. "Very good, my dear. The next room awaits." She walked through the door, and Andi stood there, stumped. What was she doing? Toriel could still hurt them, right? But... Frisk didn't think so. Frisk, the child who always kept to herself and hid from other people, seemed to adore this strange woman. Would this continue to happen with other monsters, or would something akin to Flowey happen again? _I have no idea what to make of this._

Frisk tugged on Andi's sleeve, gaining her attention. "Andi, I thought you wanted some excitement?" _I'm sorry, m__e? _Well, the last half hour was definitely the most interesting thing she'd ever experienced, she couldn't deny that. _But excitement?_

"Pretty sure that's more on you, Frisk. I'm the person who has to keep you from falling from trees, and removing splinters from your hands when you climb back down. Personally, this is more on... it's both our faults." She allowed the child to enter the cave, so she was as much of the cause as Frisk was. "But we shouldn't focus on that." Taking Frisk's hand off her sleeve, Andi smiled patiently down at her. They... they could do this. "One step at a time. First the Ruins, and from there, we'll get you home." _And b__ack to where we belong._

* * *

**Until next time!**

**Angel**


	2. Adventuring 101

**Disclaimer: I've planned out several chapters before starting the story, already finishing chapter 9. Hopefully that will mean updates won't be too slow.**

**Lunar Moon Butterfly: Thanks. I figured now was a good time to start working on this idea; revising one of my oldest stories. After thinking it over, I'm gonna stick with the title I came up with. Not that I don't appreciate your suggestions, but Multiplayertale grew on me. I went back and changed that part in the chapter, about me complaining about its length.**

**StoriesUnleashed: Thanks. Rewriting one of my first Undertale stories shows how I've gotten more invested in the game. It helps create concepts involving resets, and what happens in timelines. I have a lot of ideas I can't wait to get to, and to show the readers.**

**Most thinking is going to be Andi's until we start focusing on other characters.**

**I don't own Undertale.**

"Speaking"

_Thinking_

**Saving**

"**Reading**"

* * *

"There is another puzzle in this room… I wonder if you can solve it?"

Well, if she told them what it was, maybe they could answer if they could solve it or not. Andi, holding Frisk's hand, followed after Toriel. _Weird. The room has a lightened purple path on it. Why is it so twisted though? _Shrugging it off, they went around the bend to the next obstacle, only for something to knock the woman off her feet and onto her back.

"Aah!" Looking in front of her as she got back off the ground, Andi saw a white frog sitting in front of them with... two faces? _Wait, of course. Monster frog._ She had to get used to that. Creatures that looked normal, but weren't.

Their souls, the same cartoon hearts from before, came into view, proving Andi's earlier thought about it being related to fighting. Frisk stepped forward, and put three fingers to her mouth, taking them away as she blew a kiss. The frog looked at its webbed feet, light gray appearing on its cheeks. "Frogs… blush?" Toriel returned when she noticed they weren't following anymore, and glared harshly at the monster. The frog averted its eyes, hopping away without making contact. "I think we had that handled, but thanks, Toriel."

"It is no trouble at all, my dear. You two did quite well for your first encounter." Andi stood back up, dusting off her pants. They followed the trail, moving past walls lined with green vines, and Andi looked past Toriel to the rest of the room. _Oh__, you have to be kidding me__. _A spike path? How was that any easier than the last puzzles? They could go through the water underneath, but she didn't know how deep that was. Frisk wasn't a very strong swimmer, and the bag would weigh her down. "This is the puzzle, but…" Toriel seemed as uncertain as she felt. That must have meant some good news. "Here, take my hands for a moment."

"Uh…" Andi wasn't too sure about that. Sure, the woman had helped them out already, but how was she sure that she wouldn't try anything? Frisk though, still displaying her open friendliness to the monster, had already grabbed Toriel's paw. _Dang it. _Andi sighed, and took the other free hand. Frisk… why was she so willing to go along with this? "Okay…?" Toriel began walking across in a pattern, and the spikes retracted as she neared the right spot. _This is... oh, so that's why the path looked like that. _The pattern they were walking was the exact same from what she saw earlier in the room. _It was a clue._

Once they safely reached the over side, Toriel let go of their hands. "Puzzles seem a little too dangerous for now." Toriel made her way to the next area, and Andi looked back at her friend.

"We... could have solved that, right? The clue was already shown to us beforehand. It wouldn't have been too hard to figure out, right?" Frisk shrugged, not sure how to respond to that. "Never mind. Let's go catch up with Toriel." They entered a new room, which was just a very, very long hallway.

"You have done excellently thus far, humans." They beamed a little at the praise. "However… I have a difficult request to ask of you… I would like you two to walk to the end of the room by yourselves." That didn't seem to difficult. Rather easy, actually. "Forgive me for this." With that, Toriel ran off, deeper into the corridor. Due to the difficult lighting, while there was enough to see where they were going, they had lost sight of the monster in a matter of moments.

Frisk and Andi exchanged a look, before sprinting further into the hall themselves. "What sort of request is this?" Andi asked aloud. "Why does she think she can't go through a room by ourselves?" They were almost out of the room, the exit appearing in front of them, when Toriel made her appearance from behind a marble pillar off to the side. "Whoa!" Andi slid to a stop, and Frisk collided with her, running straight into her back.

"I'm okay!" Frisk called out, stepping back and rubbing her forehead.

"Hehe. Greetings, my dears. Do not worry, I did not leave you. I was merely behind this pillar the whole time. Thank you for trusting me. However, there was an important reason for this exercise… to test your independence." _I… I guess that makes sense. _Andi could see the logic behind it, but she still thought it was a little weird for the older woman to leave them so abruptly. "I must attend to some business, and you two must stay alone for a while. Please remain here. It's dangerous to explore by yourselves." Toriel's eyes lit up, and she reached into a pocket in her dress. "I have an idea. I will give you a cell phone."

The goat monster handed the older human a phone, and Andi blinked in surprise at the device. A… a flip phone. _How old can you get? _At least it wasn't a brick with an antenna. "Surprising that one can even get service down here," she commented, sticking it into her own pocket.

"If you have a need for anything, just call Be good, alright?" Toriel waited for them to nod. Smiling, she turned around and vanished further into the Ruins. Andi patted her hip, feeling the phone in her jeans.

"Frisk, what do you suppose?" Frisk looked up at her, tilting her head. "I mean, should we stay? Think about it. Toriel said that it was dangerous down here, yet she left us alone in the Ruins. What's to stop something from attacking us out in the open?" She looked ahead to where the monster went, and began moving. "Toriel lives in the Ruins, so she should have a house. We can just wait there for her until she returns." Frisk jogged to catch up with her, and grabbed Andi's sweater. "Heh. Come on, kid."

Entering the next room, Andi felt the phone go off. "Calling already?" She flipped it open and held it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hello? This is Toriel." _Like we have any other number__s__ on here._ Andi smiled to herself, and continued listening. "You have not left the room, have you?"

"No, Toriel. We're fine," she replied for the two of them. She didn't want to lie, but she felt bad, about the idea of making her worry. "But if it's all the same with you, is it possible for us to make our way to your house? I think it would be better for us to wait for you there instead of out here in the Ruins themselves."

"There are a few puzzles ahead that I have yet to explain. It would be dangerous to try to solve them yourself. But… are you sure you can solve them on your own, my dear?" _Besides that spiked walkway, nothing has appeared to be too difficult. I think we got this. _Andi gave a short affirmative, and Toriel sighed. "Be careful then." The phone clicked, and she hung up. Andi slid it back into her pocket, and turned to Frisk to explain. It… why did Toriel sound so worried that they were making their way to see her? Was she really that concerned about their health with these challenges?

"More puzzles ahead, kid. It would be best to be careful." Frisk nodded, and walked over to another frog. "Wish I knew the names for the other monsters do-"

"Froggit," Frisk stated, and knelt down to see the creature head-on. The now-named monster gave several croaks, with the child listening carefully. _Frisk?_ After nodding at the end of the ribbits, she got up and went back to Andi. "Continue Toriel's teachings. Don't harm the others."

"H-how did you do-how'd you know what it was saying?" Andi asked in disbelief, looking back at the monster. Frisk shrugged, and moved to a leaf pile beside them. "Kid?" **Playfully crinkling through the leaves fills you with determination. **"Frisk?"

Frisk looked back up at her, grinning. Who was she fooling? The child wasn't going to say anything more about the matter, regardless of how strange it was. Was she pretending to understand what the frog was saying, or was she actually being truthful? _I guess I have__ to drop it… for now, at least._ Frisk held up her hand, silently telling Andi to wait a moment, before dashing into a room beside them on the right. She scurried back just as fast as she left, holding two small candies. Going on her toes, she unzipped a side pocket on the bag on Andi's back and slid them inside.

"Now can we get going?" Frisk nodded with a beaming smile, and with that, they set off. Going around the corner at the far end of the hall, Andi watched as their souls were dragged out. A moth-like monster flew up to them, shaking like a leaf.

"Whimsun," Frisk informed her, as if the adult should already know that. Taking Andi's hand, she bowed to the monster, and stepped to the side to let it pass. Whimsun fluttered by in a hurry, not bothering to fight. Their souls returned, and Frisk let go of her hand.

"A timid thing, wasn't it?" She said, directing them to the next hall to the left. Frisk stopped at the leaf pile, poking the edge with her boot. "Something wrong? It's not gonna attack you." Frisk shook her head, and stepped back a few paces. With a running start, she jumped across the leaves to the other side. She beamed back at Andi, and the adult seemed to get the hint. _She wants me to jump over them. _Maybe it was a game? "Okay. Here I come!" She jumped over, with not quite as much momentum as Frisk. Her legs were longer, after all.

"Landed. Next challenge!" The new area had a rock and a white panel, and a long line of spikes blocking their path. This seemed easy. The panel was obviously a pressure plate. Before she could move, however, Andi heard the phone ring again.

"Hello? This is Toriel. For no reason in particular… which do you prefer? Cinnamon or butterscotch?" _The toughest question ever asked._ Frisk held up two fingers, and Andi nodded in understanding.

"We like butterscotch, Toriel. However, neither of us dislike cinnamon. If you use it in whatever you're baking, we wouldn't mind." Frisk clapped her hands at her explanation, and Andi grinned back.

"Thank you very much, my dear!" Toriel said. Andi let her hang up, and put the phone away.

"She's sweet, isn't she? Kinda like a mom," she noted, giving a small smile. _Caring, and a little too protective. _"Uh, w-well, anyway." Snapping back to it, she moved to the rock. Giving it a good push, it slid rather easily onto the panel. At once, the spikes descended, clearing the way. "Perfect."

The next area… was a little confusing. Even with the bend in the hallway, the ground was a darker purple, standing out against the floor they already stood on. "It looks like someone covered up the entire floor with plants. There's probably traps hidden under there." Frisk nodded, and held up her hand. "You're gonna take the lead again, huh? Alright." Frisk stepped off onto the new ground, and while she could feel the ground sink under her feet, she didn't fall through. Stepping down behind her, Frisk took several turns across the room, moving back and forth with the adult behind her before reaching the end and letting her go. "Wow." How did she know where to-and she's off again. "Frisk, you gotta wait for me."

Andi jogged after the child, and found an… unusual sight. Frisk, with her hands on her hips, was swaying to an invisible beat. Three pink gelatin monsters copied her motions, gurgling happily. Once she stopped, the slime creatures slithered away, and Frisk picked up something shiny on the floor where they once stood. "Gold." She held it up to show Andi, and she gaped.

Actual gold coins. They had their own currency down here, and it was freakin' gold coins. "Guess if we spare them instead of fighting, we get… money?" That seemed weird, but hey! It was gold! Who was she to argue?

Moving the first and second rock proved to be as easy as the last one in the other room. They didn't expect to get any problems with the third. "WHOA there, pardner!" _And now rocks talk too, apparently._ The third rock they had to move spoke quite loudly, startling Frisk. "Who said you could push me around?" Frisk made a shooing motion, and pointed to the platform behind the rock. "HMM? So you're ASKIN' me to move over? Okay, just for you, pumpkin."

The rock moved, but not by much. "HMM? You want me to move some more?" Frisk nodded. "Alrighty, how's this?" That was the wrong direction. Frisk giggled, and shook her head. "HMM? That was the wrong direction? Okay, I think I got it."

This time, the rock finally settled on the panel, and the spiked bridge was cleared. Frisk moved over to it, and not five seconds later did the spikes come back up, making the girl stumble back in alarm. "I'm sorry, but we need for you to stay there for us to cross," Andi told the rock, seeing Frisk throw a look in her direction.

"HMM? You wanted me to STAY there? You two are giving me a real workout." Andi moved back over to Frisk, checking back to make sure the rock wasn't going to move again, and they went over the small creek below.

"It's another one of those stars." What exactly were those things? What was their purpose? Frisk moved over to it, and tapped it with her palm. **Knowing the mouse might one day leave its hole and get the cheese… it fills you with determination. **They turned to look at the table, seeing a block of cheese on it. "Hmmm." Andi moved over, and tried to pick up. "It's been here so long, it's gotten stuck to the table." It did not appear to be molding, just stuck in one spot.

Frisk giggled, and pointed further into the Ruins. This wasn't too hard to navigate. They've just been going left for the last few rooms. "Yeah, I'm coming. Gee, kid. With how eager you are, it's almost like you've done this before." Frisk paused at that for a few seconds, but remained silent. _Did I say something?_

The room was almost empty except for two different paths at the other end, and two walls sticking out from the sides to make a narrower path to get to the others. In the way though, lying in a leaf pile, was-well, Andi figured it was a ghost. It had a faint mouth, and large eyes. All in all, it looked almost like a sheet. "Excuse me, but do you think you can move so we can pass?" She asked.

"Zzzzzzz…. Zzzzzzzzzz… are they gone yet…? Zzzzzzzz…" Frisk gave a small giggle at the ghost's fake sleeping, until seeing that it was time to take it into her own hands. Kneeling down, she lightly pushed the ghost… and her hands fazed right through it. _Whoops. _It seemed to do the trick though. The ghost drifted upwards, and the two were pulled into another fight. Frisk gave them a small smile, and their mouth curved up in a small smile. "Heh…"

"Yikes!" Andi dodged out of the way as tears ran from the ghost's eyes, flying towards her soul in a zigzag pattern. This was the first time she'd been attacked. She wasn't sure if it was the same with Frisk, as she was just seconds from seeing her fight with the living gelatin start, but the idea of moving yourself and the cartoonish soul around was still a weird concept. "Okay, uh, so we're trying to cheer it up, right?" Frisk nodded, dodging a teardrop. "Let me try." She moved close enough so that the ghost was focused on her. "What's a ghost's favorite ice cream flavor...? Cookies and scream!"

"Heh heh…" the ghost quietly laughed, and thankfully didn't attack this round. "Let me try…" Andi and Frisk watched as the tears drifted upwards, and somehow managed to form a white top hat on the ghost's head. "I call it 'Dapper Blook'. Do you like it…?"

"It's very interesting," Andi replied. "I never knew tears could do such a thing." Frisk applauded, smiling in agreement.

"Oh gee… I usually come to the Ruins because there's nobody around. But today I met somebody nice… oh, I'm rambling again. I'll get out of your way." The ghost faded away, leaving the path clear.

"Let's go this way first." Andi pointed to the left, and they entered a long hall stretching to the right. "What's this?" Another sign. "**Did you miss it? Spider Bake ****S****ale down and to the right. Come eat food made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders!**" _It's making it sound like __we__ would be eating the spiders themselves._ "Uh… let's just keep going. Besides, I don't think we have enough money to help them." They only had two gold coins.

Andi walked through the hall, pausing every now and then to watch Frisk listen to the three Froggits speak. Just as she neared the end of the hall, Toriel called again. "Hello? I just realized that it has been a while since I have cleaned up. I was not expecting to have company so soon." _So she's had company before? _Did she mean the previous humans who had fallen down here? "There are probably a lot of things lying about here and there. You two can pick them up, but do not carry more than you need. Someday you might see something you really like. You will want to leave room in your pockets and bag for that."

"Okay, Toriel. We'll keep that in mind." Frisk walked up to her, seeing that she was on the phone. "Apparently, we can keep whatever we find-and we've got company."

"Migosp and Moldsmal." Okay, maybe it was sort of a blessing that the kid knew their names. She guessed Moldsmal was the pink gelatin monster that she spotted before, and Migosp was the brown bunny-egg one with the sharp teeth and claws. "They don't want to fight."

"Then let's spare them," Andi decided. Hearing her words, the two monster went their separate way, leaving two coins behind. "You know, I think I can learn to like this." Sticking the money where Frisk put the other gold, they continued forward.

"Andi." Frisk pointed in the middle of the room, making small motions for her to stay there.

"Uh, okay. Just stay… here?" She stood in the middle of the room, and Frisk nodded, satisfied. To Andi's confusion, the girl went to one of the six dark purple patches on the ground, and let herself fall through the unstable material. "Frisk!" She only got to move three steps before Frisk crawled out of a vent in the wall behind her, throwing a pleased grin at her. "But you-gah! Don't scare me like that!" Frisk giggled, before going to a new hole and falling down that one. Overall, the child fell down three of the traps, and Andi watched the spikes lower at the opposite end of the room. Frisk happily climbed out of a vent, and held up her hands.

Five gold coins and a faded red ribbon. Not what she had expected, but not a bad find. "May I?" She took the ribbon, and pulled her hair back up in a high ponytail. Wrapping the ribbon around it, she tied it into a bow, securing the long locks in place. "There."

The next room they walked into was… odd. Large marble pillars scattered about in the purple Ruins, and there were several different colored switches beside them. Andi glanced to a sign on the wall, and frowned. "**The door is not an exit. It simply marks a rotation in perspective.**" _The heck does that mean? _Was that another riddle?

Frisk had already started walking through the room, and Andi jogged to catch up with her. Stepping over a lowered spiked trap, the next area of the room was a flipped image of the other side. "A change in perspective. Clever. Real clever," Andi grinned. Frisk dashed over to a sign, reading it over. "**If you can read this, press the blue switch.**"

"That one." She pointed to the pillar beside Andi, and the adult looked down at the light blue button. She pressed it down, and heard the path open up for them on the right with a loud click. "Perfe-"

"Loox and company." Andi snapped her head up, seeing a carrot monster, a cyclops, and a Migosp approach. "Loox." Frisk pointed to the gray-brown cyclops. "Vegetoid." _Of course it would be the carrot._ She smiled at Loox, and made a peace sign with her fingers.

"Finally someone gets it," it said, breathing a sigh of relief. Loox ran off, leaving the other monsters with the humans. A storm of white tiny vegetables flew out of Vegetoid's mouth, and Andi dragged Frisk to stay in the small line in the middle of the attack. Keeping low, they managed to avoid being struck. Frisk stood up, and patted her stomach. _Is she saying she's hungry? _

This seemed to make the carrot happy. "Eat your greens." Within the mass of white attacks, there was a single green bean, which Frisk absorbed into her body. The scrapes she had endured in the fall from above healed instantly, and the child bounced on her heels with energy she previously lacked.

"Green heals," Andi murmured. The carrot buried itself into the ground, leaving them. Migosp just did a funny dance with its arms, and Andi made a shooing motion. "We don't wish to fight. You can leave now, if you want." The rabbit nodded, and bounded back the way they had come in. "Wow, eleven gold."

Frisk grinned, and took the money. "Let's go." The path led them into a room that made a turn to the right, and appeared to follow the same form of puzzle as the last one. "**If you can read this, press the red switch.**" Walking around the bend, Frisk scurried to said switch and pressed it. The door in front became clear, and they entered a hall turning to the right again. "This place is a maze," Andi said, more to herself than to Frisk. "I hope we're not taking too long."

Frisk gave an almost invisible glance to the sign, and went to the green switch hiding behind a pillar. "I get this. Every room we've gone to is the exact same as the first one, but it's all in different layouts. Different rotations." Exiting the room, Andi sighed. It looked like, for the most part, they had finally reached a lax in puzzles. Their hiking boots dragged through a patch of violets growing up along the path, their stems brushing at their legs, and stood in a crossroad. "A decision appears to be needed here. Hmmm… I wanna see what's straight ahead before going left."

Crossing through another garden on the other side, they walked past a Froggit and found themselves on a balcony. "Whoa! Kid, you can see the whole Ruins from up here!" Frisk stood on her toes, hoisting herself up to see for herself. Things were certainly in rough shape. Cobwebs everywhere, and some buildings were cracking or crumbling apart. Yet it all managed to stand. It was gloomy, and yet… it was amazing at the same time. "It must be rough. Toriel lives here all alone, and it doesn't look like those other monsters visit her and keep her company. What do you think, Frisk? Frisk?"

Frisk was silent, not looking at the view anymore. Instead, Andi saw her staring at a toy knife lying abandoned on the ground. The black plastic handle was cracked, and the blade was dull, but otherwise was in decent condition. The young woman went to pick it up, but the look Frisk was giving it… it unnerved her. It was blank, emotionless. "Kid, are you alright?" She rested a hand on Frisk's hand, snapping the child's attention to her. "Is something wrong?" Frisk looked from Andi to the knife, and she could make out the girl's brown eyes beginning to water. "Whoa, kid. Hey, look at me, alright?" She knelt down, and Frisk threw herself into a tight hug, arms gripping Andi with a shocking amount of strength that she did not expect.

The action took her by surprise, but she hurried to keep herself composed. "H-hey, Frisk. It's okay, right?" Was it? The girl began to panic over the sight of knife. That... that wasn't right. For as long as she knew Frisk, she had never reacted like that before. She was always helpful in the kitchen whenever she came to visit her, or when she helped out at the house. Why now, was she freaking out? "It's alright. You're alright. Nothing's gonna harm you down here. You're safe. And… we're not gonna harm anyone either."

Frisk let go at that, looking up in shock. Jostling the bag, Andi made the hiking pole more noticeable. Its tiny blade at the bottom was meant to pierce the ground, and keep her from falling, but could be used for offense just as easily. "Just because we might want to fight back, doesn't mean we should. If it's for our lives, and there's no other option, then maybe. But for now, we're going pacifist. Or should I say… pacifrisk?" Frisk giggled at the pun, a sad weak noise, and wiped at her eyes. "Better?" The child nodded. "Good. Come on." She looked at the knife, frowned, and picked it up. The blade, like she thought, could cause damage to someone if used hard enough. _Now, what to do with you...? Got it._ Nodding at her decision, Andi hurled it over the edge of the building, hearing it land with a thunk far below them before holding out her hand to Frisk. _Definitely not leaving that around. Not after that reaction._ "Let's go see Toriel."

She had meant it. While the monsters had started the fights, they had so far been able to defuse them without any problems. The idea of physically fighting them did linger in the back of her mind, not entirely out of the question, but if Frisk was that afraid of... killing someone, then that wasn't going to happen. _Fighting will... it'll be a last resort._

Taking the path ignored and kicking at the large leaf pile in the middle, they found a huge barren tree in the middle of the Ruins. _How can it be empty? Are all the leaves we see from it, or are they all from above on the mountain itself? _Andi thought, puzzled. "Oh dear, that took longer than I thought it would." Toriel walked around the tree, and just as she was reaching for her own phone, she spotted the two humans. She dashed over to them, looking them other. "You have finally made it, my dears? I was beginning to think you had given up on the idea. Are you hurt?"

"We're fine," Andi comforted her. "We didn't hurt anyone, and spared our way here with puns and style." Toriel beamed at her, giving a small laugh at the way she said it.

"That is most excellent, human. But here, let me heal you two. I should not have left you alone for so long." A paw was rested on each of their heads, and a warm feeling flowed through them. Andi held up her arms, and pushed her sleeves back to see her own scratches and bruises from the fall had vanished.

"Man, I love magic," she whispered to herself. _I have got to learn how that works._

"It was irresponsible to try to surprise you like this. Err…" Toriel watched them lean forward, suddenly very interested in what the goat woman was saying. _A surprise?_ For them? "Well, I suppose I cannot hide it any longer. Come, small ones!" Toriel walked around the tree, and the girls followed her. A building was built into the wall, and Andi could feel the warmth from inside leaking out along with the scent of something baking.

"Why am I small?" Andi muttered, looking to Frisk. "I mean, I'm just above average height. She's got to be close to seven feet tall." Frisk giggled at her guardian's ramblings, and touched the golden star outside the house. **Seeing such a cute, tidy house in the Ruins gives you determination. **

What was that, anyway, determination? What was the point of those stars? "Andi?" Andi watched Frisk open the door of the house, beckoning her to come in.

"Oh, right. Coming." The feeling of warmth increased as she stepped inside, and Andi gave a small exclamation of awe. It was by no means an impressive house, oh no. It was quite simple. Tan walls, wooden floorboards, and potted plants scattered here and there. There was a fight of stairs behind Toriel descending into what could be the basement, covered in a brown fabric to avoid slipping.

"Do you smell that?" Toriel asked, watching the girls look around. "Surprise! It is a butterscotch-cinnamon pie. I thought we might celebrate your arrival."

"Toriel, you didn't need to do that," Andi protested. This was too much. She didn't have to bake them something, and offer to let them stay with her for the time being.

"Nonsense. I want you two to have a nice time living here. So I will hold off on snail pie for tonight." _Snail… pie? _That… didn't sound very promising. Maybe it was a goat thing? "Here, I have another surprise for you." Toriel held out her hand, and Frisk took it happily. Together, the three walked down a hallway, and Andi watched it change to a yellow color scheme. "This is it… a room of your own. I hope you like it!" Andi felt Toriel stroke the top of her head, just as she was doing with Frisk, but didn't push her way. _It__'__s… nice._

"Is something burning…?" Toriel asked, and they could make out the faint smell of smoke from further within the house. _Does this building have sprinklers? Or... anything to put out fires? _"Um, make yourselves at home!" Toriel dashed past them, and they saw her turn a corner at the end of the house.

"Just like a mom," Andi said with a chuckle, smiling. "Shall we check out our room, Frisk?"

She had expected a child's room right from the start. When Toriel had told her no adult had ever fallen down, she somewhat expected that things would be suited someone much younger than herself. The room had a red scheme, just like the hall outside was yellow. Stuffed toys were pushed up against the bed and the wall. Two bears, by the looks of them. A box of kids' shoes in different sizes sat next to the lamp, and a dusty empty picture frame sat on a bookshelf. There was a wardrobe, but Andi didn't think any clothes that were in there would fit her anyway. The wool carpet on the floor was a nice touch too, adding to the cozy feeling.

Kicking off her shoes alongside Frisk, she dropped the bag at the foot of the bed, the pole clanging against the wood. "I'm, uh, gonna just close my eyes for a… a brief moment." She flopped down onto the mattress and sighed. Oh, how she missed her bed. She had no idea what time it was. The phone lacked a clock, and her phone from above was probably smashed to pieces when she landed on the bag from the fall. Either way, she was tired, and if she passed out for several hours, she wouldn't complain. "N… night... Frisk," she mumbled, before finally letting the day's events carry her into a state dreamless sleep.

* * *

**The Ruins are definitely the tu-Toriel stage of the game. Once past it, things will start to get more interesting.**

**Happy Halloween!**

**Angel**


	3. Farewell, Goat-Mom

****Disclaimer: Toriel will always be goat-mom, and that will never change.****

"Speaking"

__Thinking__

****Saving****

"****Reading****"

* * *

Toriel was, by far, one of the greatest maternal figures Andi had ever had in her life. The monster was so kind and patient that she couldn't help but wonder if this was all but a dream. A strange, wonderful, but slightly terrifying dream. __If you were stuck far below the earth's surface, surrounded by monsters and magic, you'd think so too.__

She and Frisk had been down in the Ruins for several days, and she was surprised to find herself openly enjoying it. Toriel had started teaching Frisk about different flora that grew in the Underground, basic math, and for some weird reason, snails. The goat woman really loved snails. It wouldn't be that big of a problem, if she hadn't been fed one three days ago. It was… slimy, and not cooked as much as she would've liked. Only the seasoning made it tolerable. __Eugh. I'm gagging just thinking about it.__

She, Toriel, wanted to be a teacher, and Andi jumped onto that bandwagon like a rocket, telling her about her own job as an assistant teacher in the local elementary school. It paid bills, and allowed her to keep an eye on Frisk more often. When she asked about a school outside the Ruins for her to work at for monster children, Toriel brushed it off, never giving an answer. Andi wasn't sure why. She really wondered what was preventing her from leaving the area of the Underground. Were all other monsters really that dangerous? The monsters she had run into around the Ruins did take some time in warming up to them, but after that, they really enjoyed hers and the kid's company.

It was also a treat waking up sometimes after a nap to find a slice of pie on the table in the bedroom.

That was the greatest thing she had ever eaten in all her life.

__But then… why is Frisk growing more anxious every day? __Andi stood at the lookout point over the Ruins, arms resting on the purple bricks, confused at the question. She didn't get it. She thought Frisk would've loved this; finally having a family. It was the only reason why she had hesitated in rushing out of there, back to the Surface. Having someone else to look after Frisk like a parent was something Andi didn't want to break. Every now and then, as the two humans walked around the house or came and left the building, she would catch Frisk staring at the stairwell that led to the basement. She had no clue why it was so interesting to the child. Toriel herself said there was nothing of importance down there.

The older human knew, of course, that she was lying to them. It was obvious, but it must have been for a good reason, right? __Still, she never did give Frisk and I an answer as to where the exit to the Ruins was.__

__As for Frisk, I better go check on her. __She straightened up, adjusting the bag and pole before heading out, only to stop as a certain object caught her eye. __It's back. __The knife. The stupid toy knife, that she had thrown over the wall, had returned. And returned, every single time she tossed it. Upon coming back to be alone with her thoughts, there it would be, lying there waiting to be picked up.

It had to have been someone putting it back. Toriel was out of the question, since leaving a potential weapon out in the open was not like her. She also didn't know the other monsters well enough to pin it on them. A murderous flower, on the other hand…

It'd have to have been Flowey. He fit the category perfectly. If he was capable of burrowing underground to avoid fireballs from Toriel, that meant he could travel to other locations. The burning question though… why? Why was he bringing the knife back? Did he want them to keep it? "Oh… I give up." She grabbed the plastic handle, running a finger over the blade and pulled the bag off her back. If she had to keep it, then she'd store it at the very bottom, so that Frisk would never, ever see it. __I'll toss it when I know Flowey won't fetch it again.__

The walk back to the house was quiet, and the air was filled with an emotion she wasn't sure of. Was it the action she took, or was it something going on inside? Shrugging it off, she opened the door, and found Toriel guiding Frisk up the stairs, shooting her an apologetic smile before returning to the living room. __What was that? __"Frisk, is there something down there you're trying to get to?" __Wait… that's it. __Why Toriel never wanted them going down there, and why she never said where it was. "That's the exit, isn't it? But why do you want to leave so badly?"

Frisk remained quiet. Instead, she shook her head, and pointed at the stairs. Apparently, 20 Questions was how she was going to progress from this point. __Let's see then... __"you want to leave the Ruins… to see more?" Frisk rolled their shoulders in a so-so manner. The young woman was half-right in her guess. "Okay, so that's part of the thought… she won't let us go so easily." Frisk nodded in agreement. __She's really set on trying for this, huh? __"Well then, I guess… we're gonna have to explain ourselves, and go for it."

Frisk grinned, pleased at her response. "Okay." There was no preparation for this. They were rushing right into asking, with no second thought on the matter. If it worked, they wouldn't be coming back here. If this worked, they might not see Toriel again. __But if I wait any longer, either Frisk might make a break for it without me, or I'll never get the motivation to go for it again for who knows how long. __Inhaling sharply at the thought, she tightened the straps of her bag. "Time to go." Entering the living room, they found Toriel nestled in her chair by the fireplace, the flames crackling loudly with the accompaniment of a page being turned. "Hey, Toriel."

"Hello, my dear," Toriel said, eyes shining behind her reading glasses. Andi peered closer, seeing that the book was about snail puns. __Why is it always snails? __"Is there something that you want?" She looked over to Andi's gear. "Are you two off to explore the Ruins again?"

"Actually, Toriel, about that… we were wondering… about how we can leave the Ruins." The impact of her sentence stunned Toriel, and the book almost fell from her hands, making her scramble to catch it before it hit the floor.

"What? This… this IS your home now. Um… would you two like to hear about this book I am reading? It is called ****72 Uses for Snails.****" She was trying to avoid the topic. Once again, dodging the matter when it went against her wishes. "How about it?"

Frisk shook her head, and pointed behind them at the stairs to the basement. Even though she didn't speak, her response was clear. She wanted to leave. She HAD to leave.

"Um… how about an exciting snail fact? Did you know that snails…" she quickly flipped through the book. "Sometimes flip their digestive systems as they mature?" __Okay, you could have said practically anything else to change our minds, __Andi thought with a shiver. That settled it. She hated snails now. "Interesting."

"Toriel, please," Andi stressed. "We can't stay here any longer. We want to know how to exit the Ruins."

"… I have to do something. Stay here." Toriel put her book and glasses down in a ride pocket of the large chair, and briskly walked out of the room.

"Something's not right here," she murmured. Frisk glanced from her to where Toriel went, and dashed after her, not waiting to see if Andi was with her or not. "Whoa! Hey, Frisk! Wait for me!" Taking chase, Andi watched the child descend the stairwell, vanishing from sight at the bottom. "Man, what has gotten into her?" She gripped the railing, and jumped over the side and onto the ground below. It was a steep drop, but she knew her legs could take the impact… still hurt though. "Ouch." Hissing through her teeth, she continued running after Frisk, seeing her and Toriel reach the end of the long purple hall and turn the corner to the left. "Frisk!?"

She followed them, and found Frisk staring up at Toriel from across the room, surrounded by pillars lined with vines. In front of the monster was a door, decorated with the same symbol sewn onto her dress. __Frisk…? __She could feel… tension, and anger, floating in the air around Toriel. "You want to leave so badly?" She was facing the door, refusing to meet the child's sorrowful gaze. "Hmph. You two are just like the others." __Others? __Did she mean the humans who had fallen before them? "There is only one solution to this." Whirling around to face them, her mouth was now set in a thin line, amber eyes hardened. "Prove yourselves… prove to me you are strong enough to survive!"

__It's really come to this point, huh? __The girls' souls were pulled out, and Andi felt heartbroken as the cartoon heart bobbed up and down. She didn't want to fight Toriel in order for them to leave. Even though she remained clueless as to why Frisk wanted to get out so badly, she did not want to deny the child her wish. If… if going up against Toriel was the only way... so be it.

Toriel held up her hands, summoning the same fireballs that were used against Flowey ages ago, and launching them at the humans. With a small shriek, Andi dove at of the way with Frisk in tow. Frisk hissed, feeling her knee scrape against the room's floor. Quickly, she shoved her hand into the bag on Andi's back, a small opening left untouched, and took one of the candies inside. She popped it into her mouth, hurrying to swallow as the next barrage of flames soared towards them. With a grimace at the taste, she scrambled to her feet again, briefly taking Andi by surprise. __Does monster food also heal?__

The room grew hot with the inferno Toriel was launching at them. Scorch marks were clear on their clothing and the purple bricks surrounding them, and the monster barely missed hitting Andi's cheek. Tears dripped down her cheeks, either from pain, or from the fact the one person who showed any kindness to her and Frisk in the Underground would go back on her own words. Pacifism… s-she wanted them to not hurt anyone, yet she was willing to go as far as to incinerate them in order to have them remain there? Locked away from the rest of the world?

She was through with dodging. It was time for a different approach. Taking off her hiking pole, she leaned on it for support, and stood in the middle of the room. Toriel stared at her, partially confused, but continued to attack. Swaying to avoid the assault, Andi still remained roughly in the same spot. "Toriel, we aren't going to fight you," she said, breathing deeply. "Y-you said it yourself, that in order to proceed… w-we have to not harm a single monster. Yet, here you are, going back on your own teachings."

"What are you doing?" Toriel asked, voice low. Frisk moved up beside Andi, and they watched the fire fly past them, now missing them on purpose. "Attack or run away!" Andi shook her head, keeping still. If being roasted alive was the only way to get through to her-and she really hoped it hadn't come to that-then fine. __But I will not fight Toriel. __"What are you proving this way!?"

"That not all humans are evil? That violence isn't always the answer?" She listed off. "Toriel, we won't fight you." Her statement came out weaker than she meant it to sound. She was already so tired from battling. How much longer could she keep this up before collapsing altogether?

"Fight me or leave!" The goat woman cried out desperately. "Stop it! Stop looking at me that way! Go away!" Just like the humans, Toriel's fur around her eyes was glistening in her own tears. "I… I know you want to go home, but…" her attacks finally stopped, and the room began to cool down. "But, please… go upstairs now. I promise I will take good care of you two here. I know we do not have much, but… we can have a good life here."

"Toriel," Frisk said, frowning. She hated seeing her upset. It wasn't her fault. They had to keep going.

"Why are you two making this so d-difficult?" Toriel's question cracked at the end, trying to keep herself together. For hers, and theirs sake. "Please, go upstairs."

"Toriel, w-we love you. We really do. But Frisk and I can't stay here. Growing up in a place like this is not-it's not healthy. Yes, we don't have anyone waiting for us on the Surface other than a few people, but we… we have each other. Together, with your lessons, we're gonna make it out of here." Andi looked down at Frisk, smoothing out her short hair. "I promised myself I'd keep her safe, and that's what I'm going to do."

Toriel nodded slowly, letting Andi's words sink in. She was right. The young woman was right in every way. They couldn't possibly remain there with her. It wasn't right for a growing child, nor her guardian. "Ha ha…" she laughed bitterly, looking away from them. "Pathetic, is it not? I cannot save even a single child. No, I understand. You two would just be unhappy trapped down here. The Ruins are very small once you get used to them. It would not be right for you to grow up in a place like this. My expectations… my loneliness… my fear…" Toriel turned back to the girls. "For you, my dears… I will put them aside."

With that, the blue and red heart moved back inside Andi's chest, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Frisk patted her arm, smiling encouragingly. "Heh. Thanks, kid."

Toriel turned around, looking up at the door in thought. "If you truly wish to leave the Ruins, I will not stop you. However, when you leave… please, do not come back. I hope you understand." Andi reluctantly nodded. They… they were never going to see her again, were they? If the way out was forward, they had no need to turn back. "Nonetheless, I wish to prepare you two for your travels. It is quite a few days travel." She walked over to them, and held out her hand. Quickly, Andi gripped it, and leaned on Toriel and her hiking pole as they backtracked down the hall. Frisk stood stock-still, Toriel's words taking her aback. Prepare them? That was a new one.

"Frisk!" Andi called from far ahead, checking over her shoulder to see she wasn't moving. "What's gotten into you? Come on! We gotta get ready!" Smiling to herself, the child took off after them, brushing her hands at the blackened spots on her sweater in a weak attempt to tidy herself up.

Once back in the living room, and into the light of the house once again, Andi stood by the wall as Toriel gathered supplies from the kitchen. Before leaving her, Toriel made sure to quickly heal the injuries sustained in the fight. Frisk had fared much better than she did. As for the kid, she poked her head around the corner, moving to rejoin her. "There you are. Toriel is getting some food supplies to go along with what we've already got. She said that some monster food would be a blessing to have on top of our own."

"Here you go." Toriel returned from the kitchen, holding a cloth bag tied in a neat bow at the top. The smell of pie drifted to their noses, and they smiled pitifully. Even if they had to leave, and they would never see Toriel again, at least they got to spend just a few final moments with her. "This should easily help you through to Snowdin, perhaps past that if you ration it wisely." Taking the bundle, Andi carefully stuck it into the bag. With a blanket, small medical kit, and food and water she had initially packed for the hike up the mountain, they had plenty of supplies to help them through the Underground.

Though, while their granola bars and apples couldn't heal wounds, it would still be something to eat if they got hungry. "Snowdin," Andi repeated. "That's our next destination?"

Toriel nodded. "I am afraid this is where I must leave you, young ones. Now, it is time for you to start your journey." She held her hands over her chest, holding back more tears from wetting her cheeks.

Andi sighed, before a thought popped into her head. "W-wait. Before we go, I want to tell you something." She hugged the child to her, earning a small giggle. "Our names. We've been here so long, we never did properly introduce ourselves." Toriel blinked, and chuckled at her trying enthusiasm. "I'm Andi, with an I. And this here's Frisk."

"Andi and Frisk. How… odd. I feel like I have... heard your name before, my child." __She's-what?__ The woman raised a brow at the statement, and Frisk averted her eyes from Toriel for a moment. "Ha ha." Head falling forward, Toriel stepped towards them, and pulled the girls into a hug. Warm, furry arms snuggled them close to her, and this time she didn't stop the droplets of water from falling. "Good luck… my children."

"Goodbye, Tor-m… m-mom." Toriel gasped shakily at the word, and gripped them tighter, as if letting them go then and there would make them disappear. Toriel had never called them her children, at least, not to Andi. She had never called her mom. Yet, in those final minutes, it seemed... it seemed right. Natural.

They could have stood there forever, just like that. As if the blistering fight had never happened, and they were still having fun in the Ruins. Telling stories, and exploring new areas they had missed. But it couldn't happen. They had a long, long trip ahead of them.

Standing back up, the monster's arms slowly slackened, and let them go. Toriel walked out of the living room, down the hall towards her bedroom, not sparing them a final glance. She knew, if she remained out there, some part of her would try and persuade them from going. Somehow, though, deep down, she knew that Andi would protect Frisk with her life. She would look after her.

"C'mon, kid... it's time to go." __For real, this time. __Taking Frisk's hand into hers, Andi led them back towards the staircase. Pausing, the two looked down the hall at Toriel's door one last time. "Thank you," she whispered, and kept walking. Past the long corridor, around the corner, and up to the door Toriel had blocked them from. "You alright, Frisk?"

Frisk paused to think, eyes slightly red, and reached up to feel her cheek. Squeezing Andi's hand, she shook her head negatively. With a sigh, Andi opened the door for them, and they moved into the next hall. At the far end was another door, signaling that they were getting closer to the exit, and the entrance to the rest of the Underground.

"No tears, Frisk. Don't want to dampen the mood around any potential new friends, do we?" Frisk wiped at her face, nodding in agreement. She hoped the kid would perk up. Her mood was in the same boat. They passed through the other door, entering a small area not unlike the one they first met Toriel. The final door stood before them, waiting. Unfortunately, Andi had a feeling it wouldn't have been a straight shot. "... you again."

Flowey, under a patch of rare sunlight leaking through a hole high above, smirked at them. A smug, knowing look that sent a shiver through her. "Clever. Verrrryyy clever. You think you're really smart, don't you? In this world, it's kill or be killed. So you were able to play by your own rules."

"Y… you were there, weren't you?" She questioned the plant, letting go of Frisk's hand to hold her pole with both hands in defense. "You were watching us all week with the other monsters." If she was right with the knife idea, who's to say he wasn't watching at other points in time? __That's a lot more horrifying than I thought it was. __The flower was practically stalking them, watching their every move and action.

"Well, look who isn't a moron, after all," Flowey sarcastically remarked. "You spared the life of a single person. Hee hee hee… I bet you two feel really great. You didn't kill anybody this time, kid." __I'm sorry, this time? __What was the murdercup talking about? What time was there before this? __And did he say kid? __"But what will you do, or more specifically, your friend do, if they meet a relentless killer?"

At that threat, Frisk went back to gripping Andi's shirt. Eyes narrowed, she gave the silent threat for Flowey to try something. Anything, and to see what would happen next. "You'll die, and you'll die, and you'll die. Until you tire of trying. Unlike your pal there, who doesn't seem to get the hint. What will you do then? Will you kill out of frustration? Or will you give up entirely on this world… and let ME inherit the power to control it?"

"W-we…" what would they do? Would would ****she ****do? With the amount of perils awaiting them the moment they pass through this room, would she actually try to kill someone to protect Frisk? Would she be willing to commit murder to achieve her goal? "... n-never. Regardless of how much danger we're going to get into, as if we'd let you gain the upper hand." __In… whatever thing you're talking about. __Power? Control the world? What did he mean, and why did Flowey verbally attack her and Frisk like that? They never met before, still it seemed… Frisk and him had a history? __What is going on here?__

The flower chuckled darkly, amused by her nervous confidence. "Hehehe. You really don't know what you're about to enter here. And by the looks of it, you don't know your friend here as much as you think you do." Frisk's knuckles were white, and she trembled terribly by Andi's side. "I am the prince of this world's future. Don't worry, my monarchs, my plan isn't regicide. This is SO much more interesting. Much, much more interesting than before." His face shifted into the same large, demonic grin from days ago, with a large toothy maw that shouldn't be possible on such a small face. With a high-pitched laughter bordering on insanity that echoed around the cavern, Flowey tunneled back into the ground, leaving the humans alone.

__Alone.__ F-finally. They were alone. "Good riddance, you weed," Andi grumbled, letting out the breath she had unknowingly been holding at the end. "Frisk, are you-Frisk?" The poor child had gone pale, beads of sweat staining her forehead. "Oh, boy. Kid, what is it?"

"I… I can't tell you," she murmured. Letting go of the blue sweater, Frisk hugged herself. "I-I can't. Not yet."

"Not yet," Andi repeated, begrudgingly nodding. __Short replies. She won't be saying anything more any time soon. __"Okay. Frisk, kid, I won't pressure you into saying anything, especially seeing how uncomfortable you are right now. But I need to have some shred of idea down the road, okay? If Flowey's going to continue harassing us, I want to have an idea why." She knew something she didn't. It was obvious the moment they fell down the hole. She wasn't going to continue pushing the subject if it made Frisk uneasy, but she would have to know at some point. "Is that alright with you?"

Frisk closed her eyes, thinking it over carefully, before giving a nod. It was slow at first, but began to quicken as it turned into a firm answer. "There we go." Ruffling Frisk's hair and earning a giggle, she turned to the ornate door. "Once we go through this door, there's no turning back." Together, they walked up to it, and put their hands on the smooth wood. "Ready, kid?" Frisk smiled, and eagerly nodded. "Alright."

There were many, many things she had guessed the outside would look like when she stepped out of the heavy door, finding it more difficult than initially with its heavily rusted hinges. Dark, dreary caverns that were pitch black and dripping water from the ceiling. Lava rivers that flowed under them, if they were close enough to the center of the earth.

Snow was definitely not what she was ready for.

Ankle deep in the fluffy white blanket, Andi stared ahead in stunned amazement. "Snow… why? Of all things, why is there snow under the mountain? It doesn't even snow in Ebott." Frisk's laughter earned her a playful shove, knocking the adult off balance and into a snow covered bush beside them. The door closed behind them without their support, and Andi could hear it lock on command. A loud, echoing metallic clunk. __Goodbye, Toriel. __"Frisk, stop fooling around. We gotta get moving, remember?"

Frisk stuck out her tongue in response, knowing it was her fault she was in the shrub in the first place. Getting back up, Andi dusted the flakes still stuck to her back and legs. "Come on." As the young woman walked on ahead, Frisk moved to the shrub to get a closer look. __Maybe she found something interesting? __With the random stuff lying about in the Ruins, it didn't seem that unlikely. "Hey, Frisk! Get up here!" She listened to the rapid crunching of snow as Frisk jogged to catch up, and while she wondered why the child was intrigued with a bush, she was more fascinated with the surroundings of the forest.

The pine trees were towering high around them, all enveloped in snow as even more flakes fell from the sky above. From where, she didn't really know. Or where the light that lit up the winter wonderland came from. Questions like these, did they really need an answer? __I know the light's from holes in the mountain, so that's something. __Thinking about how the weather worked would just result in a headache. "It's beautiful," Andi whispered to herself. "Ha ha!" Twirling around in the middle of the trail, she turned to Frisk as she finally caught up to her. "Isn't it, kid?"

Frisk gave her a thumps up. "Knew it." Their boots crunched in the snow, and Andi was extremely thankful for wearing her sweater during the trip up the mountain. Without it, it would have been impossible to travel through this kind of weather. She did pity Frisk though, who unlike her, wore shorts instead of something that covered her legs entirely. "Watch your step." A large branch was sprawled across the trail in front of them, and they carefully stepped over it, avoiding the smaller limbs that stuck upwards. "It must have broke under the weight of the snow."

Continuing through the snow, the girls froze as a loud crack sounded out through the trees. __What was that? __Looking around, Andi and Frisk turned behind them, and found the heavy tree branch had been broken, right down the middle. Splintering pieces littered the white floor around it, as if something… someone... just stepped on it.

"… time to get moving." With the new incentive, they sprinted down the path towards what Andi prayed was Snowdin. Frisk, with her smaller legs, was hot on her heels. Glancing back to make sure the child was still keeping pace, Andi could've sworn she saw a dark shadow looming behind the trees, disappearing and reappearing with every few steps. __Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic-why are you not panicking!?__

Skidding to a stop in front of a large wooden gate, Andi cast a terrified eye to the deep trench far below. It must have been there as a means to prevent people from getting through, but one of the poles was broken at the top, leaving a gap at the bottom big enough to slip through. Ready to start sprinting again, she was pulled back by Frisk tugging on her sweater. "Kid, what is-?" The heavy footsteps were unmistakable now. The shadowy figure had caught up to them, and no amount of running would do them any good now. "Get in front of me, kid. Whatever you do, don't move." Frisk shuffled around Andi, and leaned against her. Wrapping her arms and the pole around the child, they waited for the monster to approach.

"Humans. Don't you know how to greet a new pal? Turn around and shake my hand." Andi and Frisk exchanged a nervous look at the request, shaking from either nerves or from the cold. Common sense screeched at her not to listen, but the idea of facing off against someone so soon should she choose not to was too great. Sucking in the freezing air, feeling it sting her lungs, Andi brought herself to let go of the young child… and turned around to grasp the awaiting hand.

* * *

****The original story had it ending the moment they left the Ruins, but it seemed better to try and move further past that.****

****Until next time!****

****Angel****


	4. Ice to Meet You

**Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale. **

"Speaking"

_Thinking_

"**Reading**"

**Saving**

* * *

"Pfffffffffffffftbtbtbtbt!"

"... huh?" Andi dropped the hand, blinking in confusion as the rude sound piercing the air. _The heck was that? _The monster in front of them gave a chuckle, shoulders bouncing in mirth.

"hehehe... the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. it's always funny." _It's a... it's a _skeleton, was the first thought that ran through her head. _It's a__skeleton. _Besides the Loox, this was the second normal monster she had encountered. Normal, in the sense she could expect it. Flowers and goats did not fall into that category. The skeleton wore a blue hoodie with white fur lining the collar, a white t-shirt, black shorts with white stripes, and... slippers? _It's snowing... and the monster is wearing sleepwear on its feet.__ And why pink? __Why not blue too?_

"anyways, you're humans, right? that's hilarious." Andi snapped out of her jumbled thinking, hearing him continue. "i'm sans. sans the skeleton." He pointed at himself with his thumb, not letting his eyes stray from the two of them.

"O-oh. Uh, sorry about the... the jumpy thing. You kind of took us both by surprise." Frisk moved out from behind her, staring up at Sans. Comparing the two, she noticed that he wasn't that much taller than Frisk. While the child's head reached his eye sockets, which had two glowing dots of white light hovering within them, Sans himself barely reached the adult's shoulders. _Magic... pupils?_

Sans slid the pink whoopee cushion off his hand, sticking it into his pocket. "sorry 'bout that. didn't mean to make you jump outta your skin." _Was that...? _Andi gave a small laugh. As if Toriel wasn't enough, now she had another person who dished out puns. _Lovely. _"i'm actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now, bein' a sentry and all. but... y'know... i don't really care about capturing anybody."

"Well, hehe," she laughed nervously, her humor from earlier fading away. "That's good for us then, right?"

"now my brother, papyrus... he's a human-hunting fanatic." That... wasn't so good. "actually..." Sans tilted his head to the side, looking past Andi at something in the distance. "i think that's him over there."

"Oh no." Frisk fully came around to join them, standing in between the two. "So... since you don't want to capture anyone, I don't suppose you'd be willing to help us out?"

He glanced at the kid, before looking back to her. "sure thing. i have an idea. first, you gotta go through this gate thingy." They all looked up at the gate across the trench. "yeah, go right through. my bro made the bars too wide to stop anyone." Frisk immediately split from the group, sliding through the beams and across the bridge. It was slightly tougher for Andi, having to duck as the broken portion narrowed further up, but soon joined the younger human on the other side. Sans brought up the rear, having better luck moving through the bars than her.

"Now what?" Andi asked. The gate led to a small clearing, almost empty save for a wooden stand, two large snowballs, and a lamp. A lamp... in the shape of Frisk._ But why? _The teal shade gave a soft glow around its dark blue body and snow, despite showing no signs of being plugged in. Batteries, perhaps? Or was the answer magic once again?

"the kid can go behind that conveniently-shaped lamp," Sans replied. "you can hide in my sentry station."

_So that's what that is. _"Okay." They headed off towards their designated hiding spots, and Andi watched Frisk duck down behind the lamp before shuffling underneath the counter of the post. At the far back out of the snow's reach were bottles of condiments, coated in a faint layer of frost and ranging from full to empty. "..."

The sound of footsteps drew her focus to where Sans remained, in the middle of the path, and heard the fast pacing come to a halt. "sup, bro?"

"YOU KNOW WHAT 'SUP', BROTHER!" Andi's head almost smacked the top of the counter, not expecting the loud and energetic voice from the newly arrived monster. "IT'S BEEN EIGHT DAYS AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T... RECALIBRATED. YOUR. PUZZLES! AND YOU WEREN'T EVEN AT YOUR STATION JUST NOW! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING!?"

Right now, he unknowingly assisted his brother in terrifying two humans. Shuffling out from under the sentry station, Andi poked her head out far enough to catch a glimpse of Sans and Papyrus. A noticeable contrast to his brother, the other skeleton stood much taller than him, only reaching his chest. _So taller than me then. _A red tattered scarf hung around his beck, with a white chest plate with gold trim, red gloves with golden cuffs, blue briefs with a gold belt, and orange boots. _That's... interesting. _"staring at this lamp," Sans answered casually, giving a sparing glance at said object. "it's really cool. do you wanna look?"

_Sans! _How was that helping them!? "WH-NO! I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT!" Papyrus replied, unknowingly getting a relieved sigh from the young woman. "WHAT IF A HUMAN COMES THROUGH HERE!? I WANT TO BE READY! I WILL BE THE ONE! I MUST BE THE ONE! I WILL CAPTURE A HUMAN!" The tall monster struck a pose, and a small breeze blew his scarf around. Where the wind came from was hard to tell, but with the fact there was snow under Mount Ebott, she could only assume there was magic involved in altering the weather. "THEN, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS... WILL GET ALL THE THINGS I UTTERLY DESERVE! RESPECT... RECOGNITION... I WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD! PEOPLE WILL ASK, TO, BE MY, 'FRIEND'? HEH, I WILL BATHE IN A SHOWER OF KISSES EVERY MORNING."

"hmm... maybe this lamp will you." _Sans! _"who knows, maybe it'll light up your life."

"SANS! YOU ARE NOT HELPING!" Papyrus shared her exact sentiments, dismissing the joke with a frown. Was this for Sans' own amusement, or was he actually trying to help his brother? It was hard to tell. "YOU LAZYBONES! ALL YOU DO IS SIT AND BOONDOGGLE! YOU GET LAZIER AND LAZIER EVERY DAY!"

"hey, take it easy. i've gotten a ton of work done today... a skele-ton." While it was barely noticeable, he looked over at Frisk and Andi, giving a wink. The pun took a moment to sink in, and she had to cover her mouth to silence her giggles. Frisk, her expression was hard to see from her angle, but she could see her shoulders shake a bit.

"SANS!" Papyrus shrieked, planting his hands on his hips and glowering down at him.

"come on. you're smiling," Sans commented. He was, but from how she looked at it, it appeared Papyrus was more grimacing rather than openly smiling.

"I AM AND I HATE IT!" He grumbled, a combination of annoyance and defeat. "OH... WHY DOES SOMEONE AS GREAT AS ME... HAVE TO DO SO MUCH JUST TO GET SOME RECOGNITION...?"

"wow, sounds like you're really working yourself... down to the bone." He gave another wink in their general direction, making her muffled laughter harder to contain.

"UGH! I WILL ATTEND TO MY PUZZLES... AS FOR YOUR WORK? PUT A LITTLE MORE, HMMM... BACKBONE INTO IT! NYEHEHEHEHE!" Papyrus spun around, marching off back the way he came, only to dash back. "... HEH!" With the apparent last laugh, the taller monster finally took off, leaving Sans alone in the middle of the clearing.

"okay, you two can come out now." Frisk stood up from behind the lamp, walking back over as Andi swatted the snow off her jeans, letting her chuckles flow freely.

"Ha ha, so, uh, hehe, does that happen often? The puns and bickering?" None of it seemed harmful, just two brothers teasing one another. Even if Papyrus showed disgust over Sans' wisecracks, it was all done in good fun.

"more or less," he replied. "glad you enjoyed the show. you girls oughta get going. he might come back. and if he does... you'll have to sit through more of my hilarious jokes," he ended with a wink. _He does that a lot, winking. _

"Oh, that would be just dreadful." She took Frisk's hand, giving a thankful smile. "Thanks, Sans. Let's get going, kid." Frisk managed a small wave before turning around with her guardian and began heading towards the direction Papyrus took.

"a-actually, hey..." they stopped, hearing Sans speak up from behind them. "hate to bother ya, but can you do me a favor?" _A favor? _Was this to make them equal for him helping them out? "i was thinking... my brother's been kind of down lately... he's never seen a human before. and seeing you two might just make his day. think you'd be willing to play along?"

Andi hesitated. From what they had seen, while he seemed set on capturing a human, Papyrus didn't seem to be that big of a threat. Still, did they really want to put that much trust into someone they just met? _Then again, we hadn't known Toriel all that long, and we almost didn't want to leave her. _"don't worry, he's not dangerous. even if he tries to be."

"Can we?" She looked down at Frisk, seeing the hopeful gleam in her eyes. _She's really set on this, huh? _It wouldn't appear that playing along would slow them down. They'd have to travel in that direction no matter what. _I see no harm in this._

"Heh... alright, we'll help, Sans. But we better not get into any trouble," Andi added. "I'd like to get to Snowdin in one pierce.

"you won't. thanks a million, by the way. i'll be up ahead." He turned around, walking off towards the direction of the Ruins.

"Hey, Sans!" Andi called out, confused. "That's the wrong direct-and he's gone." He vanished from view, the dark forest taking him away, and the two humans were alone once again. "Guess that means we should get going, right?"

Frisk nodded, letting go of her hand and started walking. "Um, Frisk? Is something wrong?" Why did the kid set off so quickly like that? Were they in that big of a rush to meet the brothers?

"I'm okay, Andi." Not saying anything more other than those few words, she continued along through the forest, leaving her guardian behind. "... wait." Stopping at one of the yellow sparkles, she quickly went to touch it. **The convenience of that lamp still fills you with determination. **"Phew," Frisk sighed, her smile brightening upon finding the glowing object.

_Why did that make her happier? Is it like the monster food, and that it heals you when you're injured or something? _Andi stared at her shrinking figure before shrugging. "Okay then?" Giving a deep breath, she jogged to catch up to Frisk, running over the strange behavior in her head. "I swear she's hiding something about this place. It's almost like she'd been here before."

_It'd make sense though, _she thought to herself, the foolish idea sticking. _Flowey seemed to recognize her, and she's acting like she's met Sans and Toriel before. Well, definitely Toriel. Sans, possibly, judging from her immediate reaction to following his ideas. _Andi shook her head, dismissing the notion. _That's impossible though. Frisk couldn't have come down here because if she did, then I'd have already known. _"Scratch that, if she had fallen down here, then why didn't Toriel recognize her on the spot?" Only Toriel's moment of being familiar with Frisk's name was all that she had to go on.

It took a moment to catch up with Frisk, watching her bid a blue bird monster teen farewell at an intersection of the forest. Off to her left where the branching path went, she could hear running water racing by, just over the sound of wind through the tree branches. _A river, probably. _"Good job, kid." She didn't take her hand this time, following along behind as they continued forward.

"SO, AS I WAS SAYING ABOUT UNDYNE-" Papyrus stopped mid-sentence as the girls approached, standing several feet away down the path. The two skeletons turned towards them, and Papyrus' sockets widened. He looked between Sans, them, and Sans again, before hooking an arm around his brother's shoulders and pulling him around. "SANS!" Papyrus whisper-yelled, kneeling down so his head was closer to Sans'. "OH MY GOD! IS THAT... A HUMAN!?"

Looking back at them over his shoulder, Sans' sockets narrowed, searchingly. "uh... actually, bro, i think that's a rock."

Andi looked behind Frisk, and sure enough, a rock sat in the snow, half buried. "OH," Papyrus mumbled, visibly deflating.

"hey," Sans whispered again, elbowing him. "what's that in front of the rock?"

"OH MY GOD!" He hurried to put a hand up to his mouth, keeping his volume low and hidden from their audience. It didn't work though. The two humans could still hear everything the two skeletons were saying. "IS… IS THAT A HUMAN!?"

"hmmm... yup. looks like it," Sans replied, mimicking the same tone. Papyrus sprung around, and the two brothers fully faced them. The taller brother's sockets widened, looking from Andi to Frisk in stunned amazement.

"OH MY GOD! AND THERE'S TWO OF THEM!?" _I swear, these are the most __amusing __pair of __brothers I've ever __met. _The more relaxed Sans was a polar opposite to Papyrus' energy, yet the two fit together perfectly. "SANS! I FINALLY DID IT! UNDYNE WILL… I'M GONNA… I'LL BE SO… POPULAR! POPULAR! POPULAR!" He stopped to clear his throat before turning back around to face them, straightening to his full height. _Clear his... skeletons don't have-what throat does he have to clear?_ "HUMANS! YOU TWO SHALL NOT PASS THIS AREA! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL STOP YOU! I WILL THEN CAPTURE YOU! YOU WILL BE DELIVERED TO THE CAPITAL! THEN… THEN!" He turned away sheepishly. "I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S NEXT."

The admission was somewhat concerning. What would happen if they were captured, and brought to the Capital? And did she really want to know? Papyrus looked back at them confidently, as if that wasn't something to be worried about. "IN ANY CASE! CONTINUE… ONLY IF YOU DARE! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!"

Finished, Papyrus took off down the path, laughing the entire way. "well, that went well," Sans noted, pleased.

"Little concerned, but I suppose it did," Andi admitted. "You sure we'll both be fine?"

"don't sweat it, human. i'll keep an eye socket out for the both of ya." She would argue on the question of how he could see without eyes. only having those glowing dots, but it would hurt her head to try and figure it out, just like the weather question from earlier. "later."

Giving a causal wave, Sans turned around and headed off down the path after Papyrus. "Puzzles again, huh? Since we're outside and it's snowy, I doubt there's pitfalls this time around," Andi mused. "Best to be on our toes and see how it plays out."

"Right," Frisk off down the road, following the brothers' footprints, Andi spared a glance at another sentry station on her left. Unlike Sans', it was made of cardboard, yet somehow wasn't collapsing under the dampness of the snow. "What does it say?"

Andi knelt down to read the writing at the front, answering Frisk's question. "**You observe the well-crafted sentry station. Who could have built this, you ponder... I bet it was that very famous royal guardsman! Note: not yet a very famous royal guardsman**." Standing back up, she smiled. "Though I don't like that he believes he has to capture a human to join them, you have to admit, he's committed."

"Hey!" The humans looked around, before seeing a small monster standing in the middle of the path. Its body was much like a snowman, complete with a nose that resembled a carrot and its head much larger than its body. What really stood out, was the giant icicle hat it wore, almost being twice its height. _Wait... oh no. __Here we go again. _The young woman watched the light blue and red soul drift into view, and for the first time since leaving the Ruins, they found themselves dragged into a fight. Around the small monster, large spiked chunks of ice appeared, and began to fly in their direction. While not moving fast, they were grouped together enough to make it partially difficult to avoid. "Hello! My hat is up here!"

"It wants us to check out its hat?" She asked Frisk, the kid ducking an attack. "Should we compliment or keep ignoring?"

"Either will work," Frisk replied. True to her words, after the next attack, the monster gave an exasperated shout and stormed off, muttering about not showing its hat any respect. Thirteen pieces of gold were left behind, sinking into the ground. "Got them." Scooping up the coins once their souls vanished back into their chests, Frisk deposited them into the bag.

"Next." Not far ahead from Papyrus' station, was a much better constructed post. A bell sat on its counter, and a carving of a dog's head was at the top of the roof. "Dog... monster?"

As if she had spoken the magic words, a black and white dog rose up from behind the counter, and the two froze. "Did something move? Was it my imagination? I can only see moving things." The dog's eyes looked around, overlooking the child and adult in front of him. "If something WAS moving... for example, a human... I'll make sure it NEVER moves again!" The monster sprung out of the booth, and the two stumbled backwards out of the way.

The dog wore a pink muscle shirt with a picture of a dog on the front, and leopard-print pants. From his brown belt, he pulled two short swords, spinning them in his hands. "Doggo," Frisk recited. "Can't see moving things."

"Then how does that help us?" Andi asked, trying to keep herself quiet. Swords were a new one, and definitely posed more of a threat than the attacks from earlier. She had every right to be concerned.

"Don't move an inch!" Doggo yelled as a single sword appeared in front of him, positioned sideways, and made its way towards them. _Don't move an-why shouldn't I move!?_

Andi went to shuffle out of the way, until Frisk stuck her arm out in front of her. "Blue attacks won't harm you if you stay still."

"And how do you-!?" The attack had reached them, and before she could think, the blade phased through their torsos. It drifted out the other side, and Andi put a hand to her chest in shock, right where it had went through. "Huh... okay." Doggo turned to the side, grumbling. _Guess he's mad he can't find us. _Frisk, giving a mischievous grin, rushed past her and jumped onto the monster's back. "Frisk!" Smiling back at her, she began to pat the dog's head as fast as she could.

"What!? I've been pet! Pet? Pet? Pot? Pat?" Another sword came at her, moving harmlessly through her torso once again. Frisk, appearing she'd had enough fun, jumped from the dog's back back into the snow. Shakily, Doggo climbed back into his station. "S-s-s-something pet me... something that isn't m-m-moving... I'm gonna need some dog treats for this!" He sank back down below the counter, but not before placing gold on its surface.

Frisk happily walked over, taking the coins, and waltzed back over to her guardian. "Blue doesn't hurt you when you don't move," Andi mumbled under her breath, reconfirming the new knowledge. Looking up, she watched Frisk circle around to add to their growing count. "How much?"

Frisk zippered the pocket, leaning around with a grin. "Thirty," she remarked, watching Andi's eyes widen.

"That's just-wow, that's a lot of gold. Hehe. Imagine what we can buy when we get out of here." _I can get a house with that money. And a car. _Frisk rolled her eyes, heading off down the path again. "Hey, it's a serious thought!" The kid had beaten her to the next area, and not pausing to look at the broken smokey remains of dog treats-which was... odd-found her exploring a larger clearing, with Sans patiently watching off to the side.

"bit slow, aren't you?" He asked, watching her join them.

"She keeps running off. And the gold question was serious," Andi repeated, flicking the back of Frisk's head as the girl got close enough. Frisk gave a quiet shout, reaching back to place a hand where she was struck.

"hehe. anyways, now that you're both here, there's something i wanna tell you. my brother has a very special attack. if you see a blue attack, don't move and it won't hurt you." _Does that mean Papyrus has an attack similar to the dog sentry? _What would it be then, bones?

"Don't worry, Sans, we already know. We just had an encounter with someone with attacks like that. It passes through you when you stay still, right?" Frisk must have found the conversation tiring, starting to wander further into the clearing as the two talked.

"yep. exactly like that. don't mind me asking this, but are you the kid's sister?" Readjusting the bag's straps, she shook her head in the negative. She had the question asked often enough, and while she would have liked to answer yes, it always seemed to take some people by surprise when she said no.

"No, I don't mind, and no, we aren't. To be honest, I'm not sure if she has any siblings. We just know each other since we both grew up in the same foster home." She leaned on the pole, feeling the end sink into the snow beneath her. "Still, it's... a concerning thought."

"what is? being stuck down here?" _Yes, that's one of them. _But it wasn't just that.

Andi shook her head. "That, but also how it's been days since anyone had heard from us." It never really stuck out that much since falling down there, but how was everyone else faring on the Surface? Frisk's foster parents? Her students and fellow teachers? Were they scared, wondering what had happened? Were the police searching for them, or did they already fear the worse? "When we return, I can't even begin to imagine the madness that we accidentally created."

"sounds rough," Sans commented. "but if i were you, i'd focus more on getting through the underground in one piece..." he seemed to trail off, and Andi saw he was looking off to the side. Following his direction, they watched Frisk slide across the large patch of ice in the middle of the clearing, trying to grab for the sign in the middle.

"Kid, do you really need to know what that sign says that badly?" Andi asked, a hint of amusement in the question. Frisk's hands missed, and she shot off to the other side of the clearing, falling into the snow face once her feet met stable ground. "... never mind. See you up ahead, Sans." Throwing the pole onto her back, Andi took off across the ice. Not with the same amount of effort as Frisk, but enough to reach the other side without falling. "Quit fooling around, kid."

"I'm... not." Frisk pulled her face up from the snow, pausing to spit some out. "Help?"

"Hand." Grabbing the offered appendage, Andi hoisted the girl up, settling her back on her feet. "Now, let's keep go-?"

"Lesser Dog." Cut off by Frisk, the two watched as another monster approached. A light brown dog in armor, carrying a large shield with the same symbol that was everywhere in the Ruins, and a long sword. A smile that stretched ear to ear crossed Frisk's face, and just like Doggo, she rushed the monster and jumped onto its back. Petting and scratching its head, Andi stared as the dog's neck began to extend, moving up towards the cavern's ceiling.

"... what?" _At this point, what really surprises me anymore? _Lesser Dog's neck continued to move, head going past the tops of the nearby trees. All the while, its tail wagged viciously, distracted from performing any actual attacks. "Frisk, you... you may have a problem."

Frisk poked her head out from behind the dog, only giving a cheeky smile. Still, she must have known it was time to move on. Though she could have kept petting, there was still some urgency to not only get to the end of the Underground, but also get out of the snow before hypothermia set in. She hopped off the guard, and Lesser Dog rushed off, neck shifting back into position. Right where it stood was-sixty gold!? "That ridiculousness actually paid off, wow." Grabbing the money, Frisk threw it into the bag before moving on, leaving Andi to zipper it up. "Just... wow."

"YOU'RE SO LAZY! YOU WERE NAPPING ALL NIGHT!"

"i think that's called... sleeping."

_Wish I knew how he got around us. Does he move through the trees? _"Ahem," Andi cleared her throat, drawing the brothers' attention. "Don't mind us. Continue if you want."

"OH-HO! THE HUMANS ARRIVE!" Papyrus announced. "IN ORDER TO STOP YOU... MY BROTHER AND I HAVE CREATED SOME PUZZLES! I THINK YOU WILL FIND THIS ONE... QUITE SHOCKING!"

"Shocking, huh?" Leaning down towards Frisk, she whispered, "bet it involves electricity in some way."

"FOR YOU SEE, THIS IS THE INVISIBLE... ELECTRICITY MAZE!"

"Told you so." She should have bet money on it, but then again, it was a shared collection.

"WHEN YOU TOUCH THE WALLS OF THIS MAZE," Papyrus continued, "THIS ORB WILL ADMINISTER A HEARTY ZAP!" From his armor, he pulled out a blue ball, tossing it up and down. "SOUNDS LIKE FUN?"

_Not exactly._ While she could bounce back from fire, and maybe even swords, electricity was definitely an all-or-nothing move. However... it was electricity, and from what she had gathered from her encounters with Sans and Papyrus... she could have some fun with this. "Sort of, but with how excited you are, I'm guessing you were really... amped when you finished this puzzle."

Sans' sockets widened at the pun, and Papyrus gave a loud exasperated groan, throwing his arms in the air. "NO! SANS, YOU ARE INFECTING THE OLDER HUMAN!"

"hehe, don't sweat it, bro. still, that pun wasn't even that good, you know?" He looked from him to her, grin stretching. "it's an old one, not current at all. in fact, my head hertz just thinking about it."

Andi grinned, seeing he was playing along. _Wonder how far we can keep this going? _"Are you positive? I thought it was."

"i'm not shocked you thought that at all." Papyrus buried his head in his hands, letting out a barely muffled frustrated yell, the opposite reaction to her own giggles.

"SANS! I WILL NOT CAPTURE THE HUMANS IF YOU KEEP THIS UP!" Laughing, Andi held up her hand in surrender, the other over her mouth to try and steady herself. How many times was this going to happen? Puns and laughing so hard she couldn't speak?

"I-it's okay, Papyrus!" She called out. "I'm done now!"

He didn't appear to believe them, but the angry glare slowly returned to the happy smile. "THE AMOUNT OF FUN YOU WILL PROBABLY HAVE IS... ACTUALLY RATHER SMALL, I THINK. YOU TWO MAY BEGIN!"

Going back to the seriousness of the puzzle, she glanced down at Frisk. "I'm not exactly fond of getting zapped today, Frisk. Soul being out in the open or not, I doubt my body can handle several hundred volts."

"We'll be fine. Just take a step and watch." Frisk looked ahead, and with the confidence that backed her words, stepped outwards... and caused Papyrus to get electrocuted. _Whoa! _Andi jumped at the instant reaction, watching him twitch violently as the volts passed through his body.

Once the electricity died down, leaving his bones partially blackened and clothes smoldering, Papyrus turned to his brother. "SANS! WHAT DID YOU DO!?" His voice was higher, stressed and alarmed by the unexpected turn of events.

"i think the humans have to hold onto the orb," Sans explained, reaching up and putting out a small fire on his brother's scarf. "might have overcooked this puzzle a tad, bro."

Focusing more on the puzzle rather than the pun, he smiled in understanding. "OH, OKAY." Bringing the orb back out, Papyrus walked off through the maze towards them. _He's making tracks_, Andi noted. Large footprints marked out a path, ending right in front of Frisk. "HOLD THIS PLEASE." He held the orb out, and dropped it into Frisk's awaiting hands. Once satisfied, Papyrus hurried back along the path he unknowingly made, and returned to his spot besides Sans. "OKAY, TRY NOW!"

It was difficult not to start laughing again, but Andi managed to keep it together. "Lead the way, Frisk." With the orb in possession, the child took the lead in walking through the tracks, taking long strides to stay inside Papyrus' footsteps.

"Done!" She called out, reaching the end of the maze. Frisk tossed the ball over to the skeletons, and Papyrus caught it single-handed.

"INCREDIBLE! YOU SLIPPERY SNAILS!" He remarked, pocketing the orb. "YOU SOLVED IT SO EASILY... TOO EASILY! HOWEVER! THE NEXT PUZZLE WILL NOT BE EASY!" Papyrus gestured to Sans, who leaned around his brother to look at them. "IT IS DESIGNED BY MY BROTHER, SANS! YOU WILL SURELY BE CONFOUNDED! I KNOW I AM!"

"Well then," Andi grinned, "we look forward to seeing it." His enthusiasm was infectious, and she couldn't help but find herself enjoying his efforts to capture them.

"NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!" Laughing, Papyrus took off down the trail, leaving his brother behind once again.

Sans watched him go, before turning to them with a pleased smile. _Is it pleased? It's... hard to tell. _His grin was set in a fixed position, and while his eye sockets were expressive, the toothy smile made it difficult to determine what Sans was feeling. It would alter its shape a little, like when he was enjoying the pun battle, but besides that, it was always the same. "hey, thanks... my brother seems like he's having fun."

"So are we, right, kid?" Frisk gave a thumps up at Andi's question. "Just wondering though, but is that outfit of his for the Royal Guard?" Lesser Dog and Doggo wore different outfits, so there didn't appear to be an exact uniform for them.

"nope. they don't really have fixed attire, but some members of the royal guard do tend to wear armor. we made that outfit a few weeks ago for a costume party. he hasn't worn anything else since... keeps calling it his 'battle body'. man. isn't my brother cool?" The amount of sincerity behind the words made her smile. Their bond was special; just by watching them interact, it was clear the brothers cared for each other.

"He's great," Frisk chirped.

"That he is. Nice to see siblings get along so well." Sans looked between them, and gave a soft laugh, a gesture she didn't expect.

"you really keep an eye out for her, don't you?" Something about the question, regardless of how innocent it was, stood out to her. It was probably just seeing how hers and Frisk's relationship mirrored his own with Papyrus.

"Of course. Even if there's no bond by blood, we're practically inseparable, outside of school and jobs and stuff." Andi ruffled the top of Frisk's head, sending the short hair off in random directions. "Who else is gonna keep her from doing anything reckless?"

Sans blinked, almost as if he hadn't expected that response. "heh... good point..." his sockets closed for a few seconds, a motion that still baffled the young adult. When he did open them, the mood around him lightened, with the smile never once slipping. "you two better catch up with paps. he might be wonderin' where you guys went."

"Oh. Sure thing, Sans... lead on, small one." _Did I say something wrong? What was that response? _Frisk swatted her arm at the name, but proceeded to take the lead to the next area anyway. Andi looked between the two, and went to follow Frisk, giving a final glance at the skeleton. "See you up ahead then, Sans."

Now, she was not close to deaf. She liked to think her hearing was relatively sharp, and she was certain she had heard him correctly. But the question was... did it have to do with her answer to his question, and if so... why did he say that?

"... i can see why you came back for her, kid."

* * *

**Just looking at the other chapters, I can tell this is going to be a very large story. Really getting into expanding missed opportunities from the old version. Next chapter will highlight such moments.**

**Until next time!**

**Angel**


	5. Friends or Froze

**Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale.**

**ArtsyReader: I think it's the second option. I'm not making a huge announcement that it's a rewrite, since I also want to consider Multi is its own story, so it's probably due to the fact it's such a new story not many people found it yet. I'm glad you're enjoying it!**

"Speaking"

_Thinking_

"**Reading**"

**Saving**

* * *

_Come back for me? _Andi repeated in her head, Sans' words not leaving her mind. _Is he talking about someone else, Frisk, or-what is going on here? _

Nothing made sense. None of it. Frisk appearing to be familiar with how the Underground worked, people being partially familiar to her, and vice versa. What was she not aware of, that Frisk herself knew? "Think, you goof. Think."

Frisk had retrieved several coins from her bag, and was off buying them ice cream from a blue rabbit off to the side. He seemed extremely happy to have her purchase the frozen goods. "... how far up are we, anyway?" She moved over to the wooden walkway stretching across a steep drop, peering over the edge. Snow covered trees were visible underneath, far, far below. "That's... quite a drop."

"Got them!" Frisk skipped over to her, holding two wrapped bars of ice cream. "This is Nice Cream!"

"Nice Cream? I mean, ice cream certainly is nice enough already." Andi took one of the bars, peeling the plastic off of it. "Oh? The wrapper says something...?"

"**Love yourself! I love you**!" _Aw, that's cute. _Sliding the wrapper into her pocket, Andi continued along the cliff face, enjoying the treat. Frisk had gotten vanilla, just as Andi had, as it was the only flavor the monster currently had in stock. Still, it was a welcoming treat. She couldn't remember the last time she had ice cream. _Though, ice cream in the cold probably isn't the greatest idea. Those granola bars might've been a better option._

A large snowball sat in a flattened patch of snow, and Frisk quickly polished off her dessert before kicking it around. The object rolled along the ground, and with each kick, shrank in size. While not moving as fast as she could've, Frisk directed the ball towards a hole at the far end of the area, and knocked it in. A ringing echoed through the air, and a yellow flag rose up the pole. "**Your sure-fire accuracy put an end to the mayhem of the 'Ball'.**" Frisk reached up to the flag, and plucked the three gold coins taped to it.

"Must be other flags too, but it might take a while to get them," Andi observed. "Maybe another time."

"i've been thinking about selling treats too."

"Ah!" Jumping, she spun around to find a smug Sans behind her, grin stretching at her reaction. _When did he get there!? And more importantly, _"why did you do that!?"

"sorry, didn't mean to spook ya." He didn't sound like he meant it, at all. _He's enjoying this. _"but back to my idea. you and the kid want some fried snow? it's just five coins."

"No, but thanks for asking." She was being the slightest bit sassy, but her heart was still wound up from the surprise. Frisk rejoined them, depositing the gold into the bag. "Which way do we go next?"

"that way." Sans pointed off towards the hole was, just as the yellow flag sank back into the ground. "you're gonna want to take a right."

"Got it. See you up ahead then." Following his instructions, the girls headed off down the path, making the corner and entering a smaller clearing. The trees below were much more noticeable; their tops barely reaching the height of the cliff they stood on.

"HUMANS!" Papyrus greeted, accompanied by his disappearing-reappearing brother. "I HOPE YOU'RE READY FOR... SANS! WHERE'S THE PUZZLE!?" _He'__s right__._ There was nothing akin to a puzzle around them, except for a single piece of paper lying on the snow.

"it's right there. on the ground. trust me. there's no way they can get past this one." _The... paper? _Andi looked from the brothers to the paper, and walked over to it. Scooping down to pick it up, she felt the object tear slightly from the damp cold, letters almost smearing together. _A word search? _Shrugging, she handed it back to Frisk, who carefully folded it and tucked it into the other side pocket of the bag.

"SANS! THAT DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" Papyrus cried, gesturing to the two of them. "ALL THEY'RE DOING IS STEALING IT!"

"whoops." Technically, Sans did do what his brother wanted. It was a puzzle. He just... committed halfway. "i knew i should have used today's crossword instead."

"WHAT!? CROSSWORD!? I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT! IN MY OPINION… JUNIOR JUMBLE IS EASILY THE HARDEST."

"what? really, dude? that easy-peasy word scramble? that's for baby bones."

"UN. BELIEVABLE." Papyrus turned from Sans to the girls, watching the exchange in amusement. _They're really serious about this, huh? I wonder if this is normal._ "HUMANS! SOLVE THIS DISPUTE!"

"Junior jumble!" Frisk declared, raising her voice for them to hear. "Crosswords are easy. That's why you like them so much." She directed the last part at Andi, who shrugged in response.

"Personally, I think it's the jumble, but it's mostly because I happen to adore knowledge puzzles, which to me makes them easy." She wasn't entirely lying. She preferred crosswords, which was why she chose to say jumble was more difficult. Plus, it seemed to make Papyrus happy.

"HA! HA! YES! HUMANS MUST BE VERY INTELLIGENT! IF THEY ALSO FIND JUNIOR JUMBLE SO DIFFICULT! NYEH! HEH! HEH HEH!" Papyrus shouted happily as he ran off to prepare the next puzzle, leaving Sans behind once again.

"thanks for saying 'junior jumble' just to appease my brother. yesterday he got stumped trying to 'solve' the horoscope." Andi gave a small laugh at the visualization, not that surprised by the idea. "you like knowledge puzzles?"

"Yep. When I was younger, I would take the paper once my foster mother was done with it, and spend hours going through all the puzzles of the day. It helps me test myself, and lets me learn concepts that I haven't gotten to yet in teaching. Which, if I can get enough money, I can finally go off to college and become a full-time teacher-or better, a professor." She wanted to learn, and the chance to teach high-end material excited her. However, she didn't have the budget for it yet, so it was a stagnant dream at the moment.

Sans remained silent, and for the first time since we met, his smile dipped. Only a little, but it wasn't as cheerful as it usually was. "you've been trying a lot, haven't you?"

"Yes, but I feel like my break is coming soon. Just need to wait a little longer." It felt strange. Usually it was only Frisk, the Jennings', and the children and teachers at the school who expressed concern. Having someone she just met do it was... odd. _Not bad, no. Just... odd. _"Shall we, kid?" Andi asked Frisk, shaking off the conversation.

"Uh-huh!" She smiled at their short interaction before taking the young woman's hand, leading the way down the path. Andi got one last glance at the short skeleton before they turned around a corner.

The next clearing had two small tables, a small mouse hole in the ledge above us, and another one of the mysterious golden sparkles. _And it still remains a mystery. _"Why do I suspect the skeletons are behind this?" Andi asked aloud, more to herself than Frisk. On one table was a plate of spaghetti, and on the other was a microwave.

"There's a note," Frisk observed, picking it off the ground. "**HUMANS**!" She read, mimicking the skeleton's loud voice, though with her normal speaking tone, it wasn't much. "**PLEASE ENJOY THIS SPAGHETTI. LITTLE DO YOU KNOW, THIS SPAGHETTI IS A TRAP… DESIGNED TO ENTICE YOU! YOU'LL BE SO BUSY EATING IT… THAT YOU WON'T REALIZE THAT YOU AREN'T PROGRESSING! THOROUGHLY JAPED AGAIN BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS! NYEH-HEH-HEH, PAPYRUS**."

"That's nice of him to give us food," Andi told her as she put the note into her bag, and headed over to the sparkle. **Knowing the mouse might one day find a way to heat up the spaghetti… it fills you with determination. **The two approached said plate of spaghetti, but found out eating it was impossible. The pasta was so cold, it was stuck to the table. Using the microwave was out of the question, since there was no way to plug it in. "Well... this was bad planning. Next area, I guess."

The clearing was large enough to rival the snow golf puzzle, with several scattered trees and lumps of snow. Surveying the area, Andi didn't notice Frisk staring at the tree beside them until she spoke. "There's a camera hidden in the tree."

"There is?" Frisk stepped to the side, brushing a small branch out of the way, and found a silver camera staring back at her, the lens zooming in and out to adjust. "You... think someone is watching us right now?"

"Maybe, but if they were bad, wouldn't something have happened already?" That... was a good point. There must have been other cameras already, which no doubt they must have missed. If someone was indeed watching, they'd already be swarmed by guards.

"There's a row of spikes other there," Andi pointed out to the far right, blocking their path. "There must be a switch somewhere around here to lower them."

"I'll get it!" Frisk took off towards the dead end, leaving her behind.

"So... I'll just go towards the right direction." Snow crunching under her boots as she neared the spikes, Andi gave a shiver. "Now the cold's sinking in. Great." Gripping her sweater closer to her body, she watched the spikes vanish into the ground. "Nicely done, Frisk."

Taking time crossing the bridge to the other side of the cliff, Andi stopped in her tracks at the sound of approaching footsteps. Quickly, swiftly. _Oh no._ Two white dogs in black robes, pulled up to mask their faces, faced her, each wielding a large ax.

"What's that smell? Where's that smell?" They spoke. Andi could identify one was a male and the other was female, but with their hoods, it was hard to tell who was who. "If you're a smell… identify yoursmellf!" The two dogs ran around the area, sniffing the air before returning to their original positions. "Hmmm… here's that weird smell… it makes me want to eliminate… eliminate YOU!"

_Okay, Andrea, don't panic, _Andi thought, heart picking up speed. _Most monsters you've gotten into fights with spoke of what they're gonna do. So if these dogs keep going on about smells… _she threw herself to the ground, arms and legs sinking into the cold. With freezing fingers, she scooped the snow up and rubbed it on her sweater, feeling the fabric begin to dampen. _Cold. Cold. Cold._

"What! Smells like a..."

"Are you actually a little dog?"

The dogs, like her previous fight, used a combo of blue and plain attacks. Rings of blue and white hearts spun at her, and rather than try to dodge and stop, Andi threw herself through the loop, landing on her knees before springing back up. _Okay, what else do dogs like? _Hurrying up to the dog on the left, she scratched behind his ear, jumping back just as fast as she began.

"Wow! Pet by another pup!" He exclaimed.

"Well, don't leave me out!" His wife spoke up. _Well, I'm not risking the scratching thing, so how about this? _Dashing upwards again, Andi patted her arm.

"What about me...?" Her husband complained, while she looked to him in amazement.

"A dog that pets dogs… amazing!"

"Dogs can pet other dogs? A new world has opened up for us… thanks, weird puppy!" Andi mentally applauded herself, and gave an even bigger smile as the guards left, leaving behind a stunning forty gold coins. _How's that for my first fight?_

"That was great, Andi! Are you alright?" Frisk ran over to her, and helped gather the money left behind.

"Yeah." She shook off the snow stuck on her sweater. "Cold and damp, but I'm fine. Just hope for someplace to dry off soon." She did not want to catch a cold, not right now. "You lead this time." She took the pole off her back, sliding her hand through the strap. "I'll follow."

The two continued along their course without any further interruptions, and approached a sign stuck in front of an arrangement of snowballs, with two blue X's on either side. "**Turn every X into an O. Then press the switch**," Andi read. "I'll get the right, you get the left." Splitting off, the moment her foot came into contact with the letter, it automatically changed. Frisk jumped over the snowballs, pressing the switch and lowering the wall of spikes. "Nice."

"WHAT!? HOW DID YOU TWO AVOID MY TRAP?" Papyrus asked, standing on the other side. "AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY... IS THERE ANY LEFT FOR ME?" Was he talking about the pasta from earlier? _Um... Frisk?_

"Sorry, but we couldn't eat it without you there. We wanted you to experience the moment with us." Andi breathed a sigh of relief at the kid's quick explanation.

"REALLY!? WOWIE… YOU RESISTED THE FLAVOR OF MY HOMECOOKED PASTA… JUST SO YOU COULD SHARE IT WITH ME?"

"Of course," Andi jumped in. "But at the same time, Papyrus, next time try and find a way to get the microwave to work. There was no way to power it."

"I WILL TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION FOR MY FUTURE TRAP, OLDER HUMAN. BUT FRET NOT! I, MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS… WILL MAKE YOU BOTH ALL THE PASTA YOU COULD EVER WANT! HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH NYEH!" He said, beaming. "THIS WAY, HUMANS!"

Papyrus, unlike the previous times, led them through the snow to his next trap. "MY BROTHER STARTED A SOCK COLLECTION RECENTLY," he told us after a few minutes. "HOW SADDENING… SOMETIMES I WONDER WHAT HE WOULD DO… WITHOUT SUCH A COOL GUY TAKING CARE OF HIM? NYEH HEH HEH!"

"Papyrus, I have to ask, which one of you is the older brother?" It was a question that was on her mind for a while. Sans was much shorter than Papyrus, yet his tone and the way he carried himself made it hard to determine who was older.

"THAT WOULD BE SANS, OLDER HUMAN," Papyrus answered with a smile, happy to discuss his family. "I CAN SEE HOW YOU WOULD BE CONFUSED. MY BROTHER'S LAZINESS SOMETIMES REQUIRES ME TO STEP UP AND BE THE BIGGER SKELETON."

"That's very nice of you Papyrus." Andi looked ahead and saw another puzzle. "But it appears there's another puzzle that's in need of solving." There were other things that set the two apart. One, which she only just realized when talking to Papyrus, was that his head was more anatomically correct to a human's skull. Sans' looked as if every bone was fused together, and she couldn't see where his jaw was for the life of her. He had a smile, right? He had a mouth, and it could move, but where was his jaw? _The more I think, __the more my head hurts. _It's magic, and magic, Andi decided, was impossible to comprehend.

"HUMANS! HMMM… HOW DO I SAY THIS… YOU TWO WERE TAKING A LONG TIME TO ARRIVE, SO… I DECIDED TO IMPROVE THIS PUZZLE… BY ARRANGING THE SNOW TO LOOK MORE LIKE MY FACE. UNFORTUNATELY, THE SNOW FROZE TO THE GROUND. NOW THE SOLUTION IS DIFFERENT! AND, AS USUAL, MY LAZY BROTHER IS NOWHERE AROUND."

"Well, I wouldn't say Sans is lazy. He's been constantly keeping an eye-um… eye socket on us so we didn't get into trouble," she advised him. _Keeping an eye socket, yet with every fight, he wasn't around. It's not a very thorough job, but I can't say he isn't doing nothing._

Papyrus shrugged, going back to the problem at hand. "I SUPPOSE WHAT I AM SAYING IS… WORRY NOT, HUMANS! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL SOLVE THIS CONUNDRUM! THEN WE CAN BOTH PROCEED! MEANWHILE, FEEL FREE TO TRY THE PUZZLE YOURSELVES! I'LL TRY NOT TO GIVE AWAY THE ANSWER!"

Frisk looked from the puzzle, and then seemed to notice something within one of the trees. "See something, kid?" She nodded and walked over, and pressed something within its branches. _There's a switch in the tree? _Papyrus and Andi watched as she returned to the button, happily pressing her foot down on it, and turned the multiple blue X's into green O's.

"WOW!" Papyrus exclaimed, impressed with her cleverness. "YOU SOLVED IT! AND YOU DID IT ALL WITHOUT MY HELP… INCREDIBLE! I'M IMPRESSED! YOU MUST CARE ABOUT PUZZLES LIKE I DO! WELL, I'M SURE YOU'LL LOVE THE NEXT PUZZLE THEN! IT MIGHT EVEN BE TOO EASY FOR YOU! NYEH! HEH HEH! HEHEHEHEH!" He ran around the large puzzle, still laughing.

Smiling at the taller skeleton's antics, they followed after him, only to bump into Sans awaiting on the other side. "good job on solving it so quickly. you didn't even need my help. which is great, 'cause i love doing absolutely nothing."

"Oh please, I'm sure that's not entirely true. I bet there's some things that you like to do." Besides puns, he must have other things that make him happy. Papyrus certainly loved puzzles and cooking, alongside his goal of joining the royal guard.

He raised a brow at the remark, and looked at the younger human. "is she always so optimistic?" Sans asked Frisk. _Optimistic? _She certainly tried to think on the positive side of things, but still. _I am by no means optimistic._

"No. When I do something stupid, she gets really serious. It's kinda scary sometimes," Frisk answered earnestly, before realizing her explanation and giving the adult a sheepish smile.

"Wow," Andi deadpanned. "Nice to know you fear and respect me, kiddo."

Sans and Frisk chuckled, making her blank look come off as more comical. _Dang it. _"don't sweat it, human. you know she means well."

"I know," Andi replied, giving an annoyed glare at the small girl before her eyes widened. "Oh! I almost forgot! Kid, we've never actually told them our names yet, have we?"

Frisk pondered the question deeply, an inquiry that seemed brand new to her. "Hmmm… no, we didn't."

"Alright then." Andi turned back to the skeleton. Toriel, to her disappointment, had only learned their names right before they left. Regardless of the fact they stayed with her for several days, they never said a word. If they would be seeing the skelebros often, and it seemed like that would be the truth, now was as good a time as any. "Sans, since we never formally introduced ourselves, how 'bout we start over?" That, and he gave them a scare the first time. Might as well try for a more casual and proper introduction.

Sans seemed curious as to where exactly the young woman was going with this, but ran with it. "alright." He held out his hand, sans whoopie cushion. _Hehe. Sans Sans whoopie cushion. _"i'm sans. sans the skeleton. and you two are?"

Andi grasped his hand with her free one, giving a blink at the sensation. The crevices and edges of his skeletal fingers were odd to touch, but surprisingly warm, despite the lack of blood. _Don't bones have blood inside them? Or do monsters not bleed, and have something else instead? Hmmm. _"I'm Andrea, but the kid and pretty much a lot of people I know call me Andi. With an I, by the way."

"Frisk," the child responded, choosing to simply state her name rather than give an explanation like her guardian. The amount of happiness seemed the tiniest bit less than Andi's own, but perhaps that was just her getting tired after a long day.

He nodded, giving her an amused grin. "that's a nice name, kid," he said with a wink before looking back to Andi. _He winked with a different socket that time. _Every other time, it was with his left. Now, it was opposite. _Maybe I'm just tired and making things up...? _"isn't andi a boy's name?"

"Yeah, but Andi is shorter and quicker to say. Plus, I was a bit of a tomboy growing up. Frisk gave me the nickname when she was younger, and it sort of stuck." _Not to mention Andi is already a nickname for Andrea, but I don't think Frisk knew that at the time. _Now everyone called her that. It was her preferred name, and there weren't that many people who called her Andrea anymore that she knew on a daily business.

"that's sweet of her," Sans said. "you two best get on your way. papyrus is waiting for you two."

"On it. Are you gonna vanish and reappear again, or if the trap's just up ahead, follow along with us?"

"hmm... i think i'll take the second one." Moving ahead, they followed the shorter monster to the end of a cliff and another bridge, with the ground on the other side covered in squares of various shades of grey and white. Sans walked over to join his brother while Frisk and Andi stayed on the other side, looking at the layout in confusion.

"WOWIE, SANS! YOU GUIDED THE HUMANS SO THAT THEY WOULDN'T GET LOST!" Papyrus announced, amazed by his brother's actions. "HUMANS, YOU'RE GONNA LOVE THIS PUZZLE! IT WAS MADE BY THE GREAT DR. ALPHYS! YOU SEE THESE TILES!? ONCE I THROW THIS SWITCH… THEY WILL BEGIN TO CHANGE COLOR! EACH COLOR HAS A DIFFERENT FUNCTION! RED TILES ARE IMPASSABLE! YOU CANNOT WALK ON THEM! YELLOW TILES ARE ELECTRIC! THEY WILL ELECTROCUTE YOU! GREEN TILES ARE ALARM TILES! IF YOU STEP ON THEM… YOU WILL HAVE TO FIGHT A MONSTER! ORANGE TILES ARE ORANGE-SCENTED. THEY WILL MAKE YOU SMELL DELICIOUS!"

_But… why?_

"BLUE TILES ARE WATER TILES! SWIM THROUGH IF YOU LIKE, BUT… IF YOU SMELL LIKE ORANGES, THE PIRANHAS WILL BITE YOU! ALSO, IF A BLUE TILE IS NEXT TO A YELLOW TILE, THE WATER WILL ALSO ZAP YOU! PURPLE TILES ARE SLIPPERY! YOU WILL SLIDE TO THE NEXT TILE! HOWEVER, THE SLIPPERY SOAP… SMELLS LIKE LEMONS! WHICH PIRANHAS DO NOT LIKE! PURPLE AND BLUE ARE OK! FINALLY, PINK TILES. THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING. STEP ON THEM ALL YOU LIKE. HOW WAS THAT!? UNDERSTAND?"

_Understand? I think I blacked out for a moment at electricity, and came back at piranhas. _"We understand," Frisk said calmly, as Andi tried to wrap her head around the mess of instructions. The information overload had short-circuited her brain, and she could've sworn she was smelling smoke. _That... could be Papyrus, actually. _

"GREAT! THEN THERE'S ONE LAST THING… THIS PUZZLE… IS ENTIRELY RANDOM! WHEN I PULL THIS SWITCH, IT WILL MAKE A PUZZLE… THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE! NOT EVEN I WILL KNOW THE SOLUTION! NYEH HEH HEH! GET READY!" Papyrus ended his long explanation and pulled the switch on the large panel next to him and Sans.

Andi watched in panic as the tiles lit up in the colors Papyrus listed off, hoping it would be an easy puzzle. _Please be easy. Please be easy. Please, please __be easy._The tiles coloring sped up until it finally stopped with a loud ding. All four of them stared at the puzzle, which now had two long lines of red on the edges, and a pink line right down the middle. _... __wow. That was-what are the odds? _Papyrus' face turned into one of disbelief before walking away from Sans and down the trail, without saying another word.

The girls went across the pink colored ground and other to the skeleton, still looking at where his brother went. "actually, that spaghetti from earlier… it wasn't too bad for my brother. since he started cooking lessons, he's been improving a lot. i bet if he keeps it up, next year he'll even make something edible."

"That doesn't surprise me," Andi mused. "I mean, you two are skeletons. You don't have tongues. How exactly could you tell if it's good or not without taste buds?" _Or feel things. They have no nervous system._

This just made the skeleton laugh, surprising her. "heheh. just because i'm all bones, doesn't mean i don't have senses like touch and taste."

She gave him a blank look. "I'll try not to think about how that's possible. If magic's involved, I'd probably get a headache thinking about it. See ya, Sans."

The next clearing, after leaving the monster behind, was… it was hard to explain exactly what it was she was seeing. There were snow statues that resembled Lesser Dog with the stretching neck all over the place, and broken pieces of the body and heads scattered about. All in all, it was a mess of the area, and the two ducked around the winding maze of sculptures to get through. A tan monster stood in the corner, looking at the sculptures in a mix of wonder and pity.

"A dog just rushed in here, filled with inspiration," he said when they got close enough, not looking away from the disaster. "It kept trying to build a snowdog that expressed its own emotions… but, as it built, it kept getting more excited about the sculpture… its neck got longer and longer, and it added more and more snow, until… it was rather sad to watch, but I couldn't turn away."

"So that explains what happened here," Andi said as she looked at all of the sculpture pieces. **Knowing that dog will never give up trying to make the perfect snowdog… it fills you with determination. **"Frisk, do you know what that thing is?" It's not like she would what the golden sparkle was. All she could piece together was that only they could see them. The monsters remained oblivious. As for the young girl, Frisk knew more about the Underground than she did, so she might have some clue. Or better yet, a legit answer. _Time to see if I can actually get an answer now._

"It's..." Frisk hesitated in answering. "It's a... save point. If something... bad happens to us, we reset and return here."

"Save point?" Andi repeated. "What, you mean like a video game?" It was the only thing she could think of that fitted those two words. Save point. So... like a bookmark. If something happened, it would all return to that moment in time.

"Yeah, sorta," Frisk said, rubbing the back of her head. She didn't want to speak about this, but Andi had her now. She needed answers, and while it was only a few, it was enough to hold her over.

"And when you say something bad, do you mean like if we get injured or if we…" she struggled saying the word, suddenly popping into her head. "… if we... die?"

Frisk sighed. "… y-yes. To... both."

"… oh." Save point to load if... but if you-then how-? _Wait. Frisk answered to both. Then doesn't that mean that...? _She couldn't have... could she? "I-I take it you... found out about it the hard way?"

Frisk seemed surprised she hinted towards her knowledge of the Underground, but nodded anyway, slowly and reluctantly. "... yeah," she admitted sadly, before perking up, waving her hands in a panic. "I-it's okay though! You still come back, a-and there's no signs left of how you, um… died."

"Except your mind remembers, since you... man, I'm bad at this, Frisk. This entire world, it's just-you've already adjusted so quickly to it, and here I am paranoid about everything. And I have to be, because I'm the adult, but it's still making things difficult when there's no threats at the moment." The words spilled out, tumbling into the open, but Andi had to say it. She was having fun, yes, but it was mentally exhausting. If what Frisk said was true, about saving, and since she was the only one to use those stars... did she already die down there, and she had no memory of it? _Frisk, you have to be honest with me, please._

"It just... takes a while to get used to how this world works." Frisk started leading them down the path, wanting the explanation to end just as much as she did. "I know you'll get the hang of it."

_You seem so certain of that. _"Heh... thanks, Frisk." Andi patted the top of her head, not bothering to mess her hair this time around.

"No problem," she smiled, almost making the somber mood disappear with her cheerfulness. How was it the kid had more determination than she did? _Chalk it up to childish innocence, I guess. She just doesn't know any better. _Smiling in spite of herself, Andi did just what Frisk said. The entire ground was covered in ice when they found the new puzzle, with non-slippery spots for the blue X's. Andi stepped ahead of Frisk, and took off sliding across the ice, hitting each letter perfectly and then moving to hit the button. They grinned when the pathway opened up, letting them move forward.

"Let's check out this path first," Frisk suggested, having Andi follow her down a small hill. The side of the cliff wasn't very wide, but stretched to the far end with a tunnel in the rock wall.

And, of course, someone was there waiting for them. "what's up? are you lost?" Sans asked when they approached him. He was leaning against the side, patiently letting them descend the incline before speaking.

"Nah, we just wanted to see what's down here," Andi explained. "Little surprised you're down here though."

The skeleton's sockets widened, and leaned in closer. "were you cryin'?"

_I what? _Reaching up to touch her face, Andi felt tried watery stains on her cheeks. Her face was numb from the cold, she hadn't even felt them. _My eyes are probably a little red too, now that I think about it. _"A little. Frisk told me something about how the Underground worked, and I sort of had a... slight break down." She suddenly found her feet very interesting, shuffling the snow under her boots.

"... kid, why don't you go run ahead and check out that tunnel? i wanna have a word with your guardian for a moment." Snapping up at Sans' request to Frisk, Andi immediately wished she chose not to go down the hill.

The child looked between the two for a moment, before giving a reluctant nod. "Okay." She took off along the side of the cliff, leaving them alone. _Dang it, __Frisk__._

"look at me for a sec, would ya?" A bony hand rested on her shoulder, and Andi stared down at Sans' glowing white pupils. "what did she tell ya 'bout the underground?" _Does... does Sans know something too? _

"She told me about the saving points. D-do you know about them?" Why else would he get serious all of a sudden? With the bit of information she now knew, if anyone else knew about the truth, then the seriousness Sans displayed made complete sense.

Sans sighed, retracing his hand and shoving it into his hoodie pocket. "yeah, i know about em. heh... wished i didn't through. they've given me a... fair bit of trouble in the past." He paused for a second, as if he was searching for a reaction from her. She patiently stood waiting for him to continue, and tried to keep the shock from appearing on her face. He knew about them. He knew about the save points. Then what else did he know? "... the idea of returning after death scares you, doesn't it?"

"Well, yeah," Andi sighed, putting the hiking pole back onto the bag. "It does. It's just-you know it's not natural, right? A concept like that shouldn't be real, but it is. H-how can I just ignore that, and act like everything's alright?"

He didn't answer right away, and she hoped her words didn't throw off the entire conversation. She didn't want to have him drop it. "it's hard, but actin' like that-like the world's breakin' down on you, won't be much help on your journey." Sans' eyes brightened. "just keep your head up, and you'll be out of here in no time." _Wow. That's__...__ really nice of him to say that. _Though, even with the change in eye lights and wording, his grin did not match it. Sure, he was smiling, but it appeared more forced than normal. _Not a falling smile like before, but it seems... fake. Empty._

"Thanks, Sans. I, um… needed that." She did, and he was right, no matter the emotion behind it. They would get out of the Underground, and moping around wouldn't help them progress. _Just need to be a bit more positive and open about it all. I... I'll try._

"heh. no sweat, andi. looks like your friend's finished." We looked over at the end of the path to see Frisk run over to us. "have fun?"

"I helped clean Gyftrot's antlers!" Frisk grinned, holding out the bundle of streamers and a photo of a monster family out to him. Several of the gold and silver decorations dragged on the snow behind her, the snow sticking to the shiny material.

"That's nice of you, Frisk," Andi complimented. Sans took the items from her, having better luck not letting the streamers fall free.

"you two better hurry along. don't worry, i'll get rid of this for ya." He juggled the armful at his claim.

"Oh, right. Thanks Sans!" Andi called out as the two booked it back up the hill and to the proper path. She needed that, greatly. Sans' words, about freedom not being too far out there and that she'd get to it, lifted the weight that was slowly building on her since falling down. They could do it. She would get Frisk out, and she would do it with a smile on her face. _Or at least smile as much as I can going along. _

Following the new pathway, they entered a new area was covered in lumps of snow. "These are snow poffs," Frisk explained. She took off, searching through each of them to see if there was anything inside, and managed to find thirty gold in the very last one.

"Sweet," Andi commented as Frisk rubbed her hands together, trying to regain warmth in her fingers. "Figures it would be in the last one. Let's go." _Snowdin better be close. Frisk's hands look really red. _The girls made their way to the continuing path, only to come to a halt as a white dog's head poked out from a snow poff in the middle of the trail. The dog gave a short bark, panting as it looked up at them with cheerful eyes. "Aw, cute."

The ground gave a slight shake, and the dog pulled itself out of the snow, revealing its massive suit of armor, and a spear as large as its body. _No longer cute! No longer cute! _The large dog slowly made its way closer to them, making large puppy eyes and panting. Frisk grinned, reaching up to pet the top of its fluffy head as it knelt down to get a better look. The dog, enjoying the pets, flopped down onto Frisk, knocking her to the ground.

Andi laughed as Frisk continued petting the dog, not bothered in the slightest by the giant monster dog. "You okay?" She asked, seeing the dog's eyes flutter, barely staying awake. Frisk nodded as the dog quickly got off her, waking up and panting excitedly. "Dog things... let's try this." The woman scooped up a ball of snow and threw it, sending it down the path. The dog sprinted after it, and brought back a large amount of snow, plopping it in front of them.

"Good dog," Andi congratulated. "Good dog. You're doing excellent!" She scratched behind its ear, earning licks from the massive canine.

"Yip! Yip!" It barked, happy with the compliments, before straightening up in its gigantic suit of armor and finally heading off back down the path. Frisk picked up the forty gold left behind, lashing her a happy smile.

"Ew!" Andi groaned, wiping the dog drool of her face. "At least we avoided a fight that time. Don't think it even went to begin one before you started petting." The path the dog was blocking led to a long wooden bridge, connecting two ledges. Frisk walked ahead, keeping her hands on the rope railings. Andi, however, looked over the edge, and saw a large forest beneath. When walking on the cliff faces, it was hard to tell exactly how far up they were. Everything below was masked in darkness. Now, all she could see was green and white within the lingering darkness of still being underground. Not quite pitch black, but not quite light enough to see everything. _Whoa._

She brought my head back up to look at Frisk, and saw she had stopped walking. At the end of the path was Papyrus and Sans waiting. Sans had... how did he pull that off this time? Sure, she could accept him sneaking around when they weren't looking, but if the bridge was the only way to cross from one side to the other, and the giant dog was blocking the path, then how did he get there? "HUMANS! THIS IS YOUR FINAL AND MOST DANGEROUS CHALLENGE! BEHOLD! THE GAUNTLET OF DEADLY TERROR!"

The adult's mouth dropped when a series of weapons were brought out around the bridge. While it was hard to see the ones underneath them, she could make out a flail, two spears, a cannon, a flamethrower, and… a small dog, spinning around with a rope tied around its torso. _And how is this one fair compared to the others!? _"WHEN I SAY THE WORD, IT WILL FULLY ACTIVATE! CANNONS WILL FIRE! SPIKES WILL SWING! BLADES WILL SLICE! EACH PART WILL SWING VIOLENTLY UP AND DOWN! ONLY THE TINIEST CHANCE OF VICTORY WILL REMAIN! ARE YOU READY!? BECAUSE! I! AM! ABOUT! TO DO IT!"

_But I'm not ready! _"This is a little unfair, isn't it?" She whispered nervously to Frisk, who nodded mutely, staring up at the dog in confusion. The girls waited for the trap to turn on, but Papyrus didn't budge. It was hard to tell his expression, from the distance they currently stood, but the younger skeleton appeared to be anxious, eyes darting from the hanging weapons to them.

"well? what's the holdup?" Sans eventually asked, looking at Papyrus.

"HOLDUP!? WHAT HOLDUP!?" He asked quickly, sweat noticeable on his forehead. "I'M… I'M ABOUT TO ACTIVATE IT NOW!"

There was another pause, and the trap still hadn't been triggered. "that, uh, doesn't look very activated," Sans observed. "are you gonna use it or what?"

"WELL! THIS CHALLENGE! IT SEEMS… MAYBE… TO EASY TO DEFEAT THE HUMANS WITH." Andi let out the breath she was holding, shoulders slumping with relief. _That was close. __Even Papyrus knows this is overkill._"YEAH! WE CAN'T USE THIS ONE! I AM A SKELETON WITH STANDARDS! MY PUZZLES ARE VERY FAIR! AND MY TRAPS ARE EXPERTLY COOKED! BUT THIS METHOD IS TOO DIRECT! NO CLASS AT ALL! AWAY IT GOES!"

The four watched as the weapons and small dog were pulled away, accompanied by the sound of rattling chains. _Hopefully that dog gets released soon. _"Thank you, Papyrus," Andi called over to him. "That was nowhere near the same level as your previous puzzles."

"YOU'RE WELCOME, HUMAN! BUT! DO NOT BE FOOLED! THIS WAS ANOTHER DECISIVE VICTORY FOR PAPYRUS! NYEH! HEH... HEH? HMM." His laugh ended hesitantly, before taking off again. Though, his speed wasn't as swift as it was earlier.

She hoped that meant something good, seeing that the most deadly trap, one that would definitely capture them, wasn't used. _Maybe he's changed his mind in capturing us. That'd be nice. _"i don't know what my brother's going to do now," Sans said once they reached the end of the bridge, stepping back onto firm ground. "if his traps didn't stop you, he might try and fight you next. if i were you two, i would make sure i understood how blue attacks work."

"Don't worry, Sans. We're ready for them," Andi verified. _Don't move, and you don't get hurt._ It was rather simple, so what was there to be afraid of?

"good." Sans looked over to where Papyrus ran off. "if you go that way, you'll end up in snowdin town. it's just down the hill. you two should probably rest up there at the inn before you continue. you look like you're about to drop."

"Feel like it, honestly. The inn sounds like a great idea," Andi commented. She bent down to adjust her laces, having started falling apart along the way. "My feet are tired."

"You mean... bone-tired?" Sans and her looked at Frisk, and the skeleton chuckled at the pun.

"hehe. not bad. but tibia honest, you both still have a long way to go before you reach my humerus level."

"I certainly believe that," Andi added. He was a walking pun textbook. "Snowdin. That's the place we were told to... to... hold on." Snowdin. Snowed... in. _Oh, you have to be kidding me. _Frisk joined in Sans' laughter as the look of disappointed realization spread over her face like a wave. "Why do I think this won't be the end of the pun names?"

"'cause it won't be," Sans answered, wiping an imaginary tear away from his socket.

"Great. Frisk, I'll go on ahead and book us a room. I want to lay down as fast as possible." She looked from Frisk to Sans. "You mind dropping her off?"

"sure thing, andi. 's no problem." The child in question remained silent throughout the conversation, aside from the unexpected pun, and stiffened at the mention of separation. Andi turned to begin heading down the steep hill, until Frisk quickly latched onto her waist, burying her face into her sweater.

_Okay? _"Heh. I'll be fine, kid. Sans won't get you into any trouble." She couldn't see her face, but she did feel Frisk's grip tighten before finally letting go. She wasn't going to get hurt. She was only going into town, after all. Who'd pick fights out in the open? "I'll see you in a little bit."

They watched her head off down the trail, following along Papryus' deep footsteps. Her head vanished as she went down the incline, and Sans waited several seconds before turning to Frisk. The girl flinched, feeling the weight of what was about to happen on her shoulders. Why did this surprise her? She knew this would happen sooner or later, the moment they had left the Ruins. "H... hey."

"heya." Yep. He was serious. "listen. i will admit, your plan seems to be going well so far. but don't get cocky, kid. i won't be very fond of you if you go back on your word."

"I-I know," Frisk quickly replied. "I know, just... wait. It's still too soon." Sans crossed his arms, giving an unimpressed look, grin dropping and lights dimming. Frisk bit her lip, scrambling to say anything else to improve the situation. "I promised you, Sans."

"and you know how i feel about promises... this is the last chance you get, pal. after this, no more goin' back. for whatever reason you might have." He began to walk past Frisk, dropping his arms and shoving his hands back into his pockets. "come on. let's get you down to the inn."

"R-right..." Frisk mumbled weakly. She barely started walking, feet shuffling through the snow in defeat, when he called out for a final time.

"oh. and frisk?" Sans stopped several feet ahead. Even with him facing away from her, she knew his eyes went blank. Dark, and empty, just like his next few words. "word of advice, for you and your guardian... do not. kill. my brother. capiche?"

* * *

**Well... this was an extremely long chapter. Have a final coming up, so the next chapter might be a little delayed. **

**Until next time!**

**Angel**


	6. Battle of Bones

**Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale.**

"Speaking"

_Thinking_

"**Reading**"

**Saving**

* * *

Andi collapsed onto the bed, giving a long sigh of relief as she sank into the covers. "Sweet comfort, have I missed you." _My feet hurt something awful. _The bag and hiking pole sat at the foot of the bed, a comfort in lifting it off her back. Sitting back up, she stretched with a grin. "Might have been a little on the expensive side, but we certainly had enough gold for it."

Eighty pieces was a lot, but they had more than enough to cover for it. The room was a pleasant gold color, with a heart patterned rug, a lamp beside a long table, and a bedside table next to the bed itself. When the rabbit monster had checked her in, she made sure to mention that someone else would be joining her, and was upgraded to a queen size for the same price. "Definitely an improvement over the small bed in the Ruins."

The Ruins... it seemed like a long time ago since they were last within those purple walls. How was Toriel doing, all alone in there? Were the other monsters keeping her company, or did she isolate herself within her home? "Hmm..." sticking her hand into her jeans pocket, Andi fished out the phone. "I don't suppose it would hurt, right?"

Going to the contact list, and seeing that the only number was Toriel herself, she selected it. "Of course there's no one else on here." Lifting it to her ear, she heard it ring, the sound faintly echoing in the room. _Please, Toriel. I know you're hearing this. Pick up._

But nobody came. Toriel had ignored the call. However... she could leave a voicemail. "Hey, Toriel. It's me. Frisk and I just reached Snowdin, and we're resting up here before continuing. Just wanted to touch base with you, and let you know we're doing fine. I'll try to give another call when we reach another checkpoint. Bye." Andi hung up, flopping back on the bed again, with the phone held against her chest and stared up at the ceiling.

"Hey, Andi." The mattress sank on her left, and she looked up at Frisk. "What were you doing?"

"Left Toriel a message." Frisk kicked off her shoes, climbing onto the bed and began to shuffle under the covers. "Even if she won't pick up, I wanted to let her know we're still in one piece."

Pushing her own boots off, Andi went to turn off the lamp, sending the room into an almost dark state. The window's curtain still let in some of the light from outside, but it wasn't much. "Hard to say what time it is, but it's best to get as much hours as possible before moving on." Frisk rolled further to the side, letting her guardian climb in. The ribbon lay forgotten on the nightstand, letting her hair fall freely over her shoulders. "Sleep tight, kid."

"... night, Andi."

* * *

"Hiya! You two look like you had a great sleep." The bunny smiled at them as they descended the stairs, yawning in sync. _Yeah, it would have been, had our neighbors not snored the entire time. _There was no mirror, but using the reflection in the phone screen, she could see faint dark circles under her eyes. It was still a worthwhile rest stop though. After all, it was somewhere warm and dry, a wonderful contrast to the time spent trekking through the forest.

"How long were we up there?" Andi asked, sliding the bag back on.

"Four hours. It's a quarter past six in the evening right now." She gave a pleasant smile, making a note in her book of the checkout time. "Have a pleasant trip!"

"Thanks." The girls stepped back outside; the elder giving a shiver as the cold struck them once again. "Want to get anything at the store before we hit the road?" She had spotted the shop on her way through the town, but decided sleep was more important. _I'd like to hang on to as much gold as possible __too__._

"I think we have enough food." Frisk looked at the yellow sparkle to her right, tapping it. **The sight of such a friendly town fills you with determination. **"There." Frisk stared at the star for a moment, before looking up at her. "Andi... why don't you try?"

"Me? But don't we only need one of us to save our progress?" If they were together the entire time, then her progress was Frisk's, and vice versa.

"I know, but... I want to know if it says anything different to you." _Different? _From how she worded it, it made it seem as if Frisk had more on why she wanted her to give it a go, but as with the other odd moments with the child, she chose to let it slide. She'd get answers eventually, and... she was still not fully awake.

"Well... I suppose I could." Moving around Frisk, Andi slowly reached out and held her hand towards the light. It was... warm, like a sunbeam. Her hand almost went through it, yet it remained its four point shape. **The idea of a warm room out of the cold fills you with determination and patience****. **"Patience... that's the light blue part of my soul."

"Determination is red," Frisk stated. "That makes sense then." Leaving the save point, they headed further into town, moving past the various monsters that called it home. Frisk split off from her and ran to a young reptilian monster child by a large Christmas tree in the middle of the square, wearing a yellow shirt with brown stripes, and had spikes along the back of his head and no arms.

Smiling, Andi continued, looking at the line of buildings and houses, her pathway lit up by the light fixtures every few feet. There were no brick buildings; everything was made of wood, and with the abundance of Christmas lights lining the houses' roofs, it felt like she had stepped right into a holiday film. "There's a pub, that tower from earlier-" she could see it over the trees, capped with a blanket of snow. "-and a library... it's spelled wrong." _That's not promising. _She had hoped to get some research done, specifically about souls. The different traits, and different attacks. Why they were so desperate for human souls. There was a lot she was missing, and it was annoying.

"Oh well." She moved past a rather large house, with Christmas lights lining the edges and a wreath on the door. Two mailboxes stood beside it, with one full of letters to the point they were falling on the ground. _Gonna take a guess here, and say this is the brothers' house. _She gave a tug on the knob, and sure enough, it was locked. "Lights are on though." The orange glow through the frosted glass was a comforting sight. The entire town was. Something about it made her feel... happy, and protected. "Hehe."

"I'm back!" Frisk returned to her side, joining her in staring at the building. "That's their house. The mailboxes have their names on it."

"Figured as much." _Wonder who's mailbox is who's. _The path outside of the town led them directly into a thick fog bank, the streetlights stopping just past the skeletons' home, and the temperature unsure of being slightly cool or freezing. Andi took the lead while Frisk held onto her bag, not wanting to get lost and drop into the river nearby. "Where's the end?" Continuing forward, Andi had them slow to a stop as a familiar shape appeared in front of them, emerging from the darkness. "Papyrus?"

"HUMANS. ALLOW ME TO TELL YOU ABOUT SOME COMPLEX FEELINGS. FEELINGS LIKE… THE JOY OF FINDING ANOTHER PASTA LOVER. THE ADMIRATION FOR ANOTHER'S PUZZLE-SOLVING SKILLS. THE DESIRE TO HAVE A COOL, SMART PERSON THINK YOU ARE COOL. THESE FEELINGS… THEY MUST BE WHAT YOU ARE FEELING RIGHT NOW!"

_Where is he going with this? And why am I so nervous all of a sudden? _He didn't sound like he was about to instigate a fight, yet something about how Papyrus was speaking was... off. "I CAN HARDLY IMAGINE WHAT IT MUST BE LIKE TO FEEL THAT WAY. AFTER ALL, I AM VERY GREAT. I DON'T EVER WONDER WHAT HAVING LOTS OF FRIENDS IS LIKE… I PITY YOU TWO… LONELY HUMANS..."

"It gets pretty lonely," Andi agreed, with a shrug. She wouldn't deny that. Outside of her job and her home, she didn't interact that much with others. She preferred to be curl up with a book, than go out to eat with a group. "But if we happen to make some good friends along the way, then we'd be fine with that." Frisk eagerly nodded, though Papyrus might not have been able to make it out.

"WORRY NOT OLDER HUMAN! YOU AND YOUR SMALL FRIEND SHALL BE LONELY NO LONGER! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE YOUR..." Papyrus stopped himself, his next words getting caught in his throat. "N-NO… NO, THIS IS ALL WRONG! I CAN'T BE YOUR FRIEND! YOU ARE HUMANS!"

"But Papyrus... Frisk tried to speak up, only for him to shake his head in denial.

"I MUST CAPTURE YOU! THEN, I CAN FULFILL MY LIFELONG DREAM! POWERFUL! POPULAR! PRESTIGIOUS! THAT'S PAPYRUS!" _Oh this is not gonna end wel__l. _"THE NEWEST MEMBER… OF THE ROYAL GUARD!" Frisk's and Andi's souls were pulled out, and the girls were unwillingly drawn into a fight with the tall skeleton. "NYEH HEH HEH!"

Immediately, several bones rushed them, coming up out of the snow, but they easily stepped over the attacks. "Frisk," Andi nudged her. "If you've got a plan, I'd love to hear it." Papyrus was no Toriel. There was no blazing inferno. However, that didn't mean Papyrus would be easy to persuade.

"Don't worry. Watch this." The kid stepped ahead of the young woman and batted her lashes at him, smiling anxiously.

"WHAT!? FL-FLIRTING?" _Frisk! How is __**th**__**at**__ a plan!?_Papyrus looked away nervously at the unexpected turn of events. "SO YOU FINALLY REVEAL YOUR ULTIMATE FEELINGS!" He looked back at her. "W-WELL! I'M A SKELETON WITH VERY HIGH STANDARDS!"

"Andi had taught me how to make spaghetti."

Said human's eyebrows shot upwards. "I taught-don't drag me into this!" Andi exclaimed.

"OH NO! YOU'RE MEETING ALL MY STANDARDS! I GUESS THIS MEANS I HAVE TO GO ON A DATE WITH YOU…? L-LET'S DATE LATER!"

Andi and Frisk continued avoiding the small bones, jumping in place rather than running and dodging. Papyrus, distracted with Frisk's earlier actions, dabbed an unknown liquid behind what might have been where his ears would've been. _Does he even have ears? I mean, he can hear-this is not the time for thinking about that! _"Papyrus, we don't want to fight you!"

"SO YOU TWO WON'T FIGHT..." The girls nodded, seeing the bone attacks come to a halt for a moment. "THEN, LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN HANDLE MY FABLED 'BLUE ATTACK'!" Dozens of blue bones were launched, and thinking back to the fights with the dog guards, Andi stayed perfectly still next to Frisk, every attack going straight through them.

"Well that wasn't too ha-" Andi watched as her heart turned from its swirling red and blue to a single dark blue, and felt a heavy weight on her chest. As if her core had turned into a bowling ball, dragging her down where she stood. She looked to her side to see Frisk struggling to stand up, her soul having also changed color. "W-what was that?"

"YOU'RE BLUE NOW," Papyrus stated proudly. "THAT'S MY ATTACK! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!"

The bones once again started coming at them, but jumping around had become much harder. Frisk could barely jump over them, her feet missing the bones by inches. _Blue... he affected our gravity. _It must have been it. It felt like her body was being yanked down, not wanting to let it move freely. "Papyrus!" Andi shouted. "Please, stop!"

"YEAH! DON'T MAKE ME USE MY SPECIAL ATTACK!" He grinned to himself. "I CAN ALMOST TASTE MY FUTURE POPULARITY!"

"Please, Papyrus!" Frisk pleaded.

"PAPYRUS, HEAD OF THE ROYAL GUARD! PAPYRUS, UNPARALLELED SPAGHETTORE!" The bones got faster, and were now being fired from behind and above them. Andi and Frisk desperately tried to keep up with the attacks, while the skeleton continued to speak of his potential future. "UNDYNE WILL BE REALLY PROUD OF ME! THE KING WILL TRIM A HEDGE IN THE SHAPE OF MY SMILE! MY BROTHER WILL… WELL, HE WON'T CHANGE VERY MUCH. I'LL HAVE LOTS OF ADMIRES! BUT…" his voice lowered, the beaming smile he wore slipping. "WILL ANYONE LIKE ME AS SINCERELY AS YOU TWO?"

"I think we're starting to get to him!" Andi shouted before tripping on a bone, her face hitting the snow roughly. "Ooof!" She lifted her head up, relieved that Papyrus was putting more focus on attacking Frisk to let her regain her composure, and began to brush the white stuck to her face and hair. "Never judge a book by its cov-?"

A flash of blue and white caught her eye, off towards the tree line. _Is... is that...? _Hidden in the Underground's near-permanent darkness, barely noticeable behind several pines, she could scarcely make out a monster watching the battle. The hood was flipped up, masking its head and casting shadows that made it impossible to distinguish its face. But even with that, there was no mistaking the blue hoodie and pink fuzzy slippers. _Sans? _"Andi, look out!" Her head snapped forward as the skeletal attacks rushed towards her, and she jumped back up, throwing herself over them in a forward roll.

"SOMEONE LIKE YOU TWO ARE REALLY RARE… AND DATING MIGHT BE KIND OF HARD…" Andi half-listened to Papyrus, giving another look at the forest. _He's gone. _Was he even there to begin with? It was only a few seconds, yet she was certain the older skeleton was there. _What was that about?_

The girls shrieked when the approaching bones started increasing and decreasing their size as they approached, rising up and down unpredictably. "Andi! I don't think I can keep this up!" Frisk yelled. Her foot grazed the top of an attack, stumbling forward upon landing.

"He's sure to slow down eventually!" She shouted back.

"AFTER YOU'RE CAPTURED AND SENT AWAY… URGH… WHO CARES! GIVE UP! GIVE UP OR FACE MY… SPECIAL ATTACK!" _This isn't __the special attack!?__ Then what was all of this!? _The bones' speed increased, along with the number approaching them and how they were launched. Frisk barely missed one hitting her shoulder, while Andi dodged one aiming for her knees.

"THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE… BEFORE MY SPECIAL ATTACK!" _Oh no. _Several bones flew past, and she grimaced at the two that rammed into her shoulder and lower leg. There was no way she could do it. She couldn't handle any more of this, being pelted with bones without pause. No doubt, she had bruises decorating her arms and legs now, along with the freezing cold that made up Snowdin. _What else could he possibly do-?_

"BEHOLD…! MY SPECIAL ATTACK!" _Here it co-!_

"What th-ha ha ha!" Andi threw a hand over her mouth to cover her laughter when a small bone, perhaps the first in a very large attack, was being chewed on by a small white dog. A dog, which was the same one from the bridge trap.

"WHAT THE HECK? THAT'S MY SPECIAL ATTACK! HEY! YOU STUPID DOG! DO YOU HEAR ME!? STOP MUNCHING ON THAT BONE!" The girls continued to laugh as the dog dragged the bone away from their battle, happy with itself. _The bone itself was the attack? What do you know? We could've handled it after all. _"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? COME BACK HERE WITH MY SPECIAL ATTACK!" Papyrus looked back to them in embarrassment, head hanging low. "OH WELL. I'LL JUST USE A REALLY COOL REGULAR ATTACK," he sighed. "HERE'S AN ABSOLUTELY NORMAL ATTACK."

The barrage of size-altering bones returned, with Andi and Frisk having little energy left to dodge. Everything hurt, and the attacks were getting near impossible to avoid. Andi barely managed to leap over a series of tiny bones spelling out "**Cool Dude**". The last attack, a bundle of dozens of bones, followed by one massive bone that covered the entire arena, dragged along the ground towards them. Grabbing Frisk, she threw the child over the bones before running towards them. Jumping forward, she let one foot make contact with a bone, thankful for its rather flat top, and used the momentum to spring over the rest of the attack and vault over the final bone.

Her landing could have been better-legs almost giving out upon hitting the ground-but Andi was proud that she got over it without a scratch. "WELL…!" Papyrus gasped out, equally exhausted. "DESPITE YOUR... IMPRESSIVE... DODGING TECHNIQUES, IT'S CLEAR... YOU CAN'T… DEFEAT ME! YEAH! I CAN SEE YOU SHAKING IN YOUR BOOTS! THEREFORE I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, ELECT TO GRANT YOU PITY! I WILL SPARE YOU, HUMANS! NOW'S YOUR CHANCE TO ACCEPT MY MERCY."

Frisk and Andi nodded furiously, taking the chance to end the tiring battle. "We accept!"

The fog bank slowly disappeared, and from the shrouds, a clearer image of a very disappointed Papyrus greeted them. Without the mist, the two could see his downcast face and shoulders drooping. "NYOO HOO HOO… I CAN'T EVEN STOP SOMEONE AS WEAK AS YOU TWO..." w_ell__,__ that hurt. _They struggled, but they weren't that bad. She was rather proud of her dodging abilities. "UNDYNE'S GOING TO BE DISAPPOINTED IN ME. I'LL NEVER JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD… AND… MY FRIEND QUANTITY WILL REMAIN STAGNANT!"

"What are you talking about, Papyrus? Aren't we your friends?" Andi asked him, confused by his choice in wording. He made it sound like he didn't have any to begin with.

"Yeah!" Frisk agreed, jumping onto the chance to bring his spirits up. "We're your friends!"

"REALLY!?" The skeleton's face brightened. "AFTER ALL THAT, YOU WANT TO BE FRIENDS, WITH ME? WELL THEN… I GUESS… I GUESS I CAN MAKE AN ALLOWANCE FOR YOU!"

"That's a much better idea," Andi said smiling. She wasn't sure how the royal guard's captain would react to the news, but she'd much rather take Papyrus as a friend than an enemy any day.

"WOWIE! WE HAVEN'T EVEN HAD OUR FIRST DATE…" Frisk gave an amused smile, finding the skeleton's antics adorable. "AND I'VE ALREADY MANAGED TO HIT THE FRIEND ZONE, UGH!" Papyrus gave a small groan at the idea, while Andi struggled not to laugh again, looking off to the side to try and hide her giggles. "PLEASE, HUMAN! DO NOT LAUGH AT MY STRUGGLE! NO WONDER SANS APPEARS TO ENJOY YOUR COMPANY."

"He does?" Andi glanced from him to Frisk, who only shrugged at the question.

"FEAR NOT, OLDER HUMAN! YOU CAN HANG OUT WITH SANS WHILE THE SMALL HUMAN AND I HAVE OUR DATE!"

"O-okay, Papyrus. That sounds like a great idea." _Is this because I keep cracking puns__? _She had spoken more to him than Papyrus, so the idea of him enjoying her around made some sense.

"WHO KNEW THAT ALL I NEEDED TO MAKE PALS… WAS TO GIVE PEOPLE AWFUL PUZZLES AND THEN FIGHT THEM? YOU TAUGHT ME A LOT, HUMANS."

"You can stop calling us that Papyrus," Andi smiled. "Call us by our real names. I'm Andrea, but the kid calls me Andi." _I'd add on that it's with an I, but it's pronounced the same either way. It doesn't matter._

"I'm Frisk," Frisk said, still smiling at the happy ending they managed to reach.

"ALRIGHT THEN… ANDI AND FRISK. I HEREBY GRANT YOU PERMISSION TO PASS THROUGH! AND I'LL GIVE YOU DIRECTIONS TO THE SURFACE. CONTINUE FORWARD UNTIL YOU REACH THE END OF THE CAVERN. THEN… WHEN YOU REACH THE CAPITAL, CROSS THE BARRIER. THAT'S THE MAGICAL SEAL TRAPPING US ALL UNDERGROUND. ANYTHING CAN ENTER THROUGH IT, BUT NOTHING CAN EXIT… EXCEPT SOMEONE WITH A POWERFUL SOUL… LIKE YOU! THAT'S WHY THE KING WANTS TO ACQUIRE A HUMAN." Acquire. Did he-did Papyrus not know that giving them to their king would result in their deaths? _He wants to join the Royal Guard, but he doesn't know that? _Why hadn't anyone informed him?

"HE WANTS TO OPEN THE BARRIER WITH SOUL POWER," Papyrus continued. "THEN US MONSTERS CAN RETURN TO THE SURFACE! OH, I ALMOST FORGOT TO TELL YOU… TO REACH THE EXIT, YOU WILL HAVE TO PASS… THROUGH THE KING'S CASTLE."

"The King's castle," Andi quietly repeated. Honestly, it did make sense that the one way out of the Underground, was through such a fortified area. There must be guards everywhere, and near impossible to reach.

"THE KING OF ALL MONSTERS… HE IS.. WELL… HE'S A BIG FUZZY PUSHOVER! EVERYBODY LOVES THAT GUY. I AM CERTAIN IF YOU JUST SAY… 'EXCUSE ME, MR. DREEMURR… CAN WE PLEASE GO HOME?' HE'LL GUIDE YOU RIGHT TO THE BARRIER HIMSELF! ANYWAY! THAT'S ENOUGH TALKING! I'LL BE AT HOME BEING A COOL FRIEND! FEEL FREE TO COME BY AND HAVE THAT DATE! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!"

Papyrus happily ran back towards Snowdin, laughing as he flew past the two humans. Andi watched his disappearing form before looking down at Frisk. "I know we're in a hurry to get home and all, but it'd be rude not to accept his invitation."

"... you want me to go on a date with Papyrus?" Frisk asked, confused.

"Judging from Papyrus' personality, it's more or less two friends goofing around," Andi explained. "Trust me."

Frisk hesitantly nodded. "Alright, I guess. We don't want to keep him and Sans waiting." _Sans, huh? He'd be there too. _What would the two of them do, while Papyrus and Frisk hung out? Or would they all do something together? _Either way, this should be interesting._

Andi smiled and took the lead back into town; the fog bank rolling back in once they got far enough. Papyrus waited in front of his house, tapping his foot impatiently. _Wait. Did he think we were coming back right away? What would've happened if we just kept going? _"SO YOU CAME BACK TO HAVE A DATE WITH ME!" Papyrus remarked, straightening up.

"Yep!" Frisk chirped, giving him the cheerful and short answer.

"YOU MUST REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT THIS… I'LL HAVE TO TAKE YOU SOMEPLACE REALLY SPECIAL… A PLACE I LIKE TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME!" Papyrus turned around and started sprinting further into Snowdin. _Okay? _The girls exchanged a confused look before shrugging, and taking off after him. Just before they reached Grillby's, Papyrus spun around on the spot and ran back the way they came. Andi skidded to a stop as he flew by them, taking a moment to regain her bearings, and followed after him.

Papyrus finally came to a halt back in front of his house, standing atop the step. "MY HOUSE!" He declared, and opened the door to let them in.

She didn't know why he had done that, running through the town, but any place warm and inside was a treat. Andi felt her body instantly relax upon entering, sweater and jeans still drenched from the snow during the fight. The house wasn't anything entirely special. A flat screen TV was set up on a table across from a worn green sofa. A large dining table was off to the side by the door, with a rock covered in sprinkles sitting on a plate. "What's this, Papyrus?"

"THIS IS MY BROTHER'S PET ROCK. HE ALWAYS FORGETS TO FEED IT," Papyrus grumbled. "AS USUAL, I HAVE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY."

"Does he know rocks don't eat… or live?" She asked Frisk quietly as she took her bag off, setting it beside the couch.

"Just leave it be," Frisk replied. Andi noticed a pile of sticky notes around a single dirty sock by the television, and bent down to read them, letting Frisk continue to explore by herself.

"**SANS! PLEASE PICK UP YOUR SOCK**!"

"**ok**."

"**DON'T PUT IT PACK DOWN! MOVE IT**!"

"**ok**."

"**YOU MOVED IT TWO INCHES! MOVE IT TO YOUR ROOM**!"

"**ok**."

"**AND DON'T BRING IT BACK**!"

'**ok**."

"**IT'S STILL HERE**!"

"**didn't you just say not to bring it back to my room**?"

"**FORGET IT**!" Andi put the sticky notes back down, smiling. Standing back up, Frisk ran over to her with a bunch of coins in her hands.

"Papyrus said I could keep this. I found it in the couch." She grinned and put the twenty gold coins into the book bag.

"That's nice of him," Andi said, progressing into the room next to them. "Makes sense that if Papyrus makes spaghetti, he'd have a kitchen."

"MY BROTHER ALWAYS GOES OUT TO EAT," Papyrus said as he stood outside the door. "BUT… RECENTLY, HE TRIED 'BAKING' SOMETHING. IT WAS LIKE… A QUICHE. BUT FILLED WITH A SUGARY, NON-EGG SUBSTANCE. HOW ABSURD!"

"I think that's called a pie, Papyrus," Andi told him, walking up to the fridge.

"AH-HA! INTERESTED IN MY FOOD MUSEUM? PLEASE, PERUSE MY CULINARY ART SHOW." She opened the door, and found half of the fridge filled with containers of spaghetti. The other side only held an empty bag of chips. Upon closer inspection, they were revealed to be ketchup flavored. Raising a brow, she closed the door and turned around to face the trash can.

"THAT'S THE TRASH CAN. FEEL FREE TO VISIT IT ANY TIME." Andi looked at the incredibly tall counter that held the kitchen sink, reaching almost to the top of the ceiling. _Who needs a counter that tall? _"IMPRESSED? I INCREASED THE HEIGHT OF MY SINK. NOW I CAN FIT MORE BONES UNDER IT! TAKE A LOOKSY!" Andi glanced back at the skeleton's suggestion before opening the cupboard door, only being a little smaller than herself. Inside, instead of a large amount of bones like Papyrus had said, was the tiny white dog from the fight, gnawing on its prize on a shelf.

"WHAT!? CATCH THAT MEDDLING CANINE!" The dog's head snapped up, seeing it had been discovered, and jumped from its hiding spot. Andi turned around and dove at the dog, while Frisk bent down to grab it from beside Papyrus. The dog narrowly dodged her arms, and her head crashed into Frisk's instead, both falling onto the floor in pain.

"That didn't work," Andi grumbled, holding her forehead. "Ouch."

"UGH! CURSES!" The three heard a door open, and a trombone began to play, playing three descending notes. "SANS!" Papyrus looked out into the living room with a scowl. "STOP PLAGUING MY LIFE WITH INCIDENTAL MUSIC!"

"Sans can play the trombone? That's like, the absolute perfect skeleton pun," Andi stated.

"OLDER HUM- I MEAN ANDI, WHY DON'T YOU GO VISIT MY BROTHER WHILE YOUR SISTER AND I COMMENCE OUR DATE?" Papyrus suggested. "IF YOU NEED US, WE WILL BE IN MY BEDROOM."

"Oh. Uh, sure," Andi said, leaving the kitchen and approached the staircase she saw when coming in. There were several doors along the second floor, with one being covered in tons of signs and caution tape. _That's probably Papyrus'. Which one is Sans' then? _There were three other doors. One at the far end of the hall on the left, and two on the right. Hanging on the wall was a large picture of a bone, perfectly aligned between the left side's doors.

"If I had to take a guess..." Andi headed to the end of the hall, stopping in front of the final door. Reaching up, she slowly knocked on the door. "Sans? Are you in there?"

There was silence on the other side of the door, before she could make out shuffling footsteps coming from inside the room. The door creaked open, and Sans' head popped out. "oh, hey. what's up?"

"Can I please come in? Your brother suggested to me that I should hang out with you while he and Frisk have their..." Andi paused to make air quotes. "Date."

He leaned back into the darkness of his room, and she wondered if he was surprised by Papyrus' idea. She was, obviously, but he was Papyrus' brother. Shouldn't Sans have had some inkling he could've done this? _Why is he so taken aback? _Sans disappeared back into his room, but he didn't close the door on her. "... are you coming in or what?"

"Oh. Right." Sparing a look back towards the staircase, Andi walked into the small bedroom, closing the door behind her. The room itself was a complete mess. A mattress with a bundled up ball of sheets sat in the corner, pushed up against the dark brown walls and under a lone window. A tall lamp stood on a dresser, and there was a self-sustaining tornado of trash beside her, spinning several pieces of paper-crumbled and normal-tissues, books, socks, and a random plate of pasta.

Andi squinted at the cyclone. _Probably shouldn't __even __try and figure that one out._ She turned to look at Sans, who was leaning against the wall by the window, watching. "what do you think?"

"Reminds me of this one kid's room back on the Surface, before he got adopted. Without the tornado, of course." _And the spaghetti. _She walked over to the bed and sat down, not looking away from the skeleton.

There was several things that could happen next. Either she could try and get some information from Sans about the Underground, souls, anything; she could also not say anything. Sans could answer, or avoid the subjects. "Hey, Sans, I was wondering if I could ask you some questions."

Sans shrugged, not moving from his spot. "sure. don't see why not. what do you wanna know?"

_What do I wanna know? _"I'll start with an easy one. Papyrus said to us before we arrived that you enjoyed my company. Is that because of the constant punning?" Sans chuckled at her assumption, shaking his head.

"a little, but no, actually," his grin widened, "i admire how close you and the kid are. even though you two aren't blood related, you're determined to make sure that the kid stays safe and happy. if any other adult fell down here, the end result might not have been so pretty."

The ending was dark, and it was a little worrisome with how casual he said it, but she understood. If it was just her, she might not have leaned towards the pacifist direction. Maybe not kill anyone, but she would've fought to defend herself. She was an adult, and she didn't easily have the same level of wonder and innocence Frisk had. When she saw the child's reaction to the knife though... that was the selling point. "I understand. Here's another one. Frisk told me earlier today that a red soul meant determination, and that a light blue soul meant patience." Sans stopped leaning against the wall, uncrossing his arms.

"why would she tell you about those specific traits?" _So there's others th__e__n. Figured as much. _It made sense that there was more than just those two colors. If she had to take a guess, the other humans that had fallen had different colors too.

"It's because both of those traits make up my soul." She looked at her lap. "Someone we... first met down here told me that a soul with two traits has never happened before." It had been a while since she gave the flower any thought, but his words about souls, and about Frisk still haunted her.

"hmm... well, that monster's correct, andi." Sans finally moved over to her, taking a seat. "the human souls that i've seen had been solid colors, nothing else."

"Special case, then." _I guess I have no need to be too concern-wait. Seen? _Sans had-he's seen the other human souls before? _Does that mean he met the other humans that fell down here before they...?_

"guess so." He closed his eye sockets. "anything else you wanted to ask me?"

"There was... one other thing," Andi said slowly. "But I don't think now's the right time to ask. It's more of a question that Frisk needs to hear too."

Sans opened his eyes and looked at her. "it's about how the kid and i know so much about what's happening on your journey, isn't it."

Well then... he certainly wasn't beating around the bush, was he? "Uh, well... yeah. How'd you come to that conclusion so quickly?"

He chuckled, an almost bitter sound. The humor and amusement that was normally there had up and went, and it left a feeling in the air Andi didn't like. "i know a lot of things, andi. it only depends on if i need to do something with that knowledge."

Andi nodded slowly, running the explanation over in her head. "So then, you... you can see into the future?"

"close. i can remember various timelines." _Timelines? _Sans put a hand to his chin. "how do i explain this...? you know about the save points, right?" She nodded. "well, if something really horrible happens, or if you want to redo all of what you've done, one could use the save point to reset the course of their entire journey."

"A reset?" _That's... new. _Frisk had never mentioned anything like that before. "What could've possibly happened that required a complete do-over?"

Sans sighed. "heh. you'd be surprised. i've gone through a handful of resets, and some of the memories aren't exactly... pleasant."

Not pleasant. Andi could generate several ideas of where he was going with that. Frisk mentioned having died, and it must have been more than once. If Sans knew about the save points and had gone through several resets, and Frisk knew how the stars worked... had she... actually been in the Underground before? Had she already been down there, without her knowledge? _No, that... that wouldn't make sense. _Flowey must have had knowledge of the timelines too, as he knew Frisk, but he made it clear he'd never seen her before. Sans didn't know her either. So... what changed? How did she end up there?

And with unpleasant memories... was it just Frisk dying, or was it... something else? Did she really want to know? _I... I don't know. _The two sat on the mattress in silence, thinking. "I got even more questions than answers due to our conversation, but I'll worry about those later. Thanks anyways, Sans."

The short skeleton gave a sad grin. "you're welcome, but it seems like i did more harm than good." _Yeah, no kidding. _He reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone, a significantly more updated version than the one Toriel had gifted her, but still not as new as the one she already owned and had potentially crushed upon her fall. "it's gettin' late. do you and frisk have anywhere to spend the night?"

"I was thinking we'd crash at the inn again, but..." Andi frowned. "The people who slept in the room next to us... snored." A lot, and she wanted to try and get as much shuteye as possible before continuing towards the Capital.

"well then." Sans stood up, pocketing the phone and giving her a wink. "you two can spend the night here. i'm sure paps wouldn't mind."

"Wha-really?" She asked, shocked at the suggestion. Just like that, spend the night with them? But he hardly knew them-well, he must at least know Frisk, but still! "Sans, I-I don't want us to be a burden-"

"you aren't, andi. neither of you are." He patted her shoulder. "it's no problem at all." Sans walked over to the door, opening it. "c'mon, let's go tell papyrus and frisk." He left, leaving the door open for her to follow. Papyrus' excited shouts flowed through the opening not long after, as his brother explained the sudden arrangement. Yet, she remained there, still hung up over the sudden proposal. _Stay the night? _Slowly, a smile graced her, and she laughed to herself, a welcoming change from the depressing direction the conversation had gone. _Thank you, Sans. You have no idea how much that helps me. _The offer, and the new information. _Now... what can I do with that?_

* * *

**Until next time!**

**Angel**


	7. Rest and Reflections

**Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale.**

"Speaking"

_Thinking_

**Saving**

* * *

"Um, Andi...? Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Why wouldn't it be, Frisk? It's better than the inn again, right?" _And I really need more sleep after that fight. _Papyrus was ecstatic when Sans had suggested having them sleep over, heading straight to the kitchen to prepare supper for everyone with a spring in his step. Once she had left his bedroom, closing the door behind her, Sans had showed them the closet where they could find the extra blankets. The drawers were located in the laundry room, and he left them behind to bring the pillows downstairs ahead of them.

Andi loaded the child's arms with blankets, standing on a stool to reach them on the top shelf. "I know this wasn't what we had in mind, but this is the first proper rest since the Ruins. Besides..." Andi thought back to her conversation with the shorter skeleton from earlier. "Sans wouldn't take no for an answer. For someone who's very relaxed, he can be very stubborn when he wants to be." _And seriou__s. _The change in his mood throughout the conversation, how he had acted during the questions; it was hard to shake off.

Frisk nodded, but it wasn't noticeable behind the tower of wool blankets. "I know. Sans probably has the couch ready for us."

"Then let's get going." With Frisk taking the lead, the girls descended down the stairs, Andi making sure the child didn't fall down them. The two dropped the blankets onto their makeshift bed, and the older human sighed in relief, shoulders dropping from the armload. Sans had left two pillows there, already laid out for them, but that was it.

"Two pillows?" Andi asked. "You had us carry four blankets, rather large ones at that, and you only carried two pillows?"

Sans shrugged. "what can i say? i don't like to do any work."

"Technically, I'm carrying the blankets." Frisk leaned her head around her bundle. "Help?" Andi scooped the blankets up, and laid them onto a couch cushion. Frisk stretched her arms, giving a relieved smile. "Thanks."

"Still find that hard to believe," Andi muttered. Sans said he was lazy, but there was more to him than he let on. Andi managed a glimpse of it earlier, and Frisk knew it too. "Has Papyrus finished supper yet?"

"INDEED I HAVE, ANDI!" Papyrus shouted, sticking his head out of the kitchen, wielding a wooden spoon stained with tomato sauce. The food barely clung to the object, threatening to fall to the carpeted floor. "YOU WILL SURELY ENJOY MY CULINARY MASTERPIECE! JUST ASK YOUR SISTER!" He disappeared back into the room, giving an excited laugh at the end.

Andi turned to the younger girl at his suggestion. "You already ate some of his spaghetti?" She had an idea that it would've been the pasta dish for supper, given the amount of proof leading up to it. The containers, and the frozen plate out in the woods.

Frisk rubbed the back of her head. "Sort of. His cooking isn't… exactly..."

"it's not edible, is it?" Sans cut in.

"I almost spit it out in front of him," she deadpanned. "You said he was getting better."

"i said that in a few more months it'd be edible. i didn't say it was already decent." Sans chuckled. "don't worry, kid. i'll take you and andi out to grillby's tomorrow for some real food. my treat."

"Thanks, Sans," Andi smiled. She wasn't sure what sort of food the bar served, but it would be enjoyable all the same to check out more of Snowdin before they left.

"THE SPAGHETTI IS DONE!" Papyrus announced, and walked out of the kitchen carrying four plates of pasta, carefully holding two in each hand. He placed them on the table and turned to them with a wide ear-to-ear smile. _If... Papyrus had ears, that is. _"I HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS MY BEST DISH YET! I NEVER SERVED SO MANY PEOPLE BEFORE, OUTSIDE OF UNDYNE AND SANS, SO I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOY IT!"

"Thank you, Papyrus." Andi sat down in her seat. "I'm looking forward to it." Sans and Frisk sat down on either side of her, looking warily at their plates. The food looked like any normal dish of spaghetti. Tomato sauce of noodles that looked to be the slightest bit overcooked, seasoning heavily decorating the top, and a fine sprinkling of Parmesan cheese to cap it off. "It looks really good."

"YOUR WELCOME, ANDI. BONE APPETITE!" He grinned, before a look of absolute horror came across his face, the word slipping through his mouth before he realized it. Frisk giggled at the unintentional pun, while Sans and Andi erupted into fits of laughter.

"heheheh. don't worry bro, i'm sure i can find the stomach for it." Andi smiled, picking up her fork and looking at the younger brother. _Should I...? _

Yes. Yes, she should. "He's right, Papyrus. It looks really good, and on top of having a free place to spend the night, we don't have to pay a single penne for it." Sans's laughter increased, holding his head while Papyrus glared at him.

"SANS! STOP CORRUPTING THE HUMAN" He criticized before sighing, knowing that he wouldn't win this round. "DIG IN."

Andi stuck her fork into the pasta, twirling the noodles around before lifting it to her face. _They're overreacting. Papyrus' food can't be that bad, can it? __Maybe the noodles are cooked too much, but besides that, it looks pretty good. _She looked at the food cautiously before sticking it into her mouth. _Oh-I was wrong!_ Sans and Frisk watched as she struggled with swallowing the bite, almost gagging on the food before finally eating it. "Mmmmm!" She gave Papyrus a shaky grin, her face scrunched up as if she had eaten a lemon. Not that the food was sour, no. It was... definitely indescribable though. "It's... great, Papyrus!"

The taller skeleton's eyes shone, and if he had pupils, she was sure that they would be sparkling. "WOWIE! DID YOU HEAR THAT SANS? SHE LIKES MY COOKING! DON'T WORRY, ANDI. THERE IS MORE AMAZING SPAGHETTI WHERE THAT CAME FROM!" The moment he left the room to return to the kitchen, Andi grabbed her glass and chugged her water, begging that it would wipe the flavor away from her mouth.

"Oh man! That was horrible!" She slammed the cup back down and looked at Sans. "How do you manage th-!?" _Wait, that sounds mean. _"I-I mean, not that it's not that bad, but it's-"

"don't worry, i get it. as for how i handle it, well..." Sans gave a sly grin. "like this." Giving a wink, he took hers, Frisk's, and his plates. The girls watched as he popped out of existence from his chair, the wood shaking from the sudden movement. Andi gave a startled shout, jumping in her own seat and almost sending herself falling backwards. Sans reappeared, this time without the pasta on the dishes. "don't tell pap," he told them, handing back their plates. "as much as i love my bro, one can only take pasta so much before it gets impastable to handle."

Andi cracked a weak grin, while Frisk giggled at the joke. "We won't." Just as their plates were placed back in their original positions, Papyrus walked back into the living room, holding a pot of fresh noodles in his hands. He halted mid-step, and stared at the empty plates in shock.

"OH MY GOSH! YOU ALL ATE MY SPAGHETTI!?"

"Uh, yeah!" Andi smiled, hurrying to shake off the earlier moment. After all, besides the pressure of not hurting his feelings, how was she supposed to react to the fact Sans just freaking teleported!? _You don't just drop a bomb like that! _"We just couldn't stop ourselves from eating this amazing meal. R-right, guys?"

Sans and Frisk nodded, grinning at Papyrus. "yep. it was one of your best dishes, pap," the shorter skeleton said.

Papyrus smiled at the three, ruffling Frisk's hair. "THANKS SANS. DO YOU GUYS WANT SOME MORE?"

"Oh no, Papyrus." Frisk waved her hands. "We're plenty full already."

"OH WELL. WHAT DO YOU WISH TO DO NOW, HUMANS? WE HAVE NEVER HAD OTHER PEOPLE STAY OVER BEFORE, SO I AM UNFAMILIAR IN WHAT HAPPENS NEXT."

Andi paused to think it over. It was late, but it didn't seem right to just go ahead and fall asleep. "Well, it's late, but… how 'bout a movie?"

"sounds like a good idea," Sans said. "what do you two like to watch?"

"Animation, fantasy, comedy" Frisk listed off. "We really like sci-fi and thriller."

"thriller?" He looked at Andi, who shrugged helplessly at the kid's statement.

"Kid really enjoys it, and she keeps raiding my DVD rack when I'm not in the room whenever she comes over." Be it getting food in the kitchen, or moving anywhere else in her apartment, Frisk would be at the television and popping in a disk for a film the adult didn't want her seeing. _How many mature rating movies has she seen pulling this off anyway?_

"DON'T WORRY, FRISK," Papyrus joined in. "WE HAVE A LOT OF MOVIES TO CHOOSE FROM. I'M CERTAIN MOST OF THEM YOU WOULD BE FAMILIAR WITH."

"Really?" Andi asked him. "You've got movies from the surface?" From how he phrased it, it definitely sounded as if they had no movies monsters had made down there. Even with a television, she had no idea if channels were a thing.

"A LOT OF ITEMS HAVE FALLEN DOWN HERE OVER THE YEARS," he went on to explained. "THERE'S GARBAGE PILES IN WATERFALL THAT WE GET OUR MOVIES FROM."

"That makes sense," she concluded. _Waterfall, huh? _Since names seemed to be literal, she took a guess that the area had a lot of water, which meant it was also probably warmer than Snowdin. "Is Waterfall the next area?"

"yep," Sans said. "i have a sentry station right at the entrance, so i'll see you two off tomorrow morning."

"Can we look at your selection of movies now?" Frisk asked eagerly. "We're losing valuable movie time!"

"hehehe. sure, kid." Sans led her over to the TV and opened the door in the stand under it. "take your pick."

Frisk knelt down on the rug and shuffled through the DVDs before pulling one out. "This one."

Andi walked over to her and glanced at the disk box. _You have to be kidding me. _"Um… are you sure, kid? You know that's a horror movie you're holding."

"Sans said take your pick. I took my pick," she shrugged. Andi and said skeleton exchanged a look, neither convinced at the explanation. _I'm going to regret this. Here's hoping for no nightmares._

"Alright then," she relented, earning an excited cheer from the kid. "Just, don't blame me if you have trouble sleeping tonight."

* * *

"AHHHHH!" Papyrus buried his face into the comforter, doing little to muffle his shriek. "DON'T GO IN THE BASEMENT, HUMAN! WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO GO DOWN THERE!?"

"Curiosity killed the cat, Papyrus," Andi explained. "I did warn her." Frisk snuggled deeper into the elder's sweater, one eye looking at the screen while the other was tightly closed.

"Y-yeah, a horror movie w-was a bad choice," she stuttered.

"she warned you, kid," Sans added, reiterating her words. "nice choice in movie though. the classics were always the best in my opinion."

"True, but this was definitely a bad idea from the start. A kid her age should not be watching a movie with this high a rating," Andi said before looking at Papyrus, still shaking under the blankets. "Or him for that matter."

Papyrus poked his head out and looked at her. "I-I'M NOT SCARED. THIS S-SIMPLE HUMAN MOVIE DOESN'T BOTHER ME IN THE SLIGHTEST."

"Sure," she replied sarcastically as the credits began to roll, and Frisk sighed in relief. "Anyways, it looks like the movie's over. You guys heading back to your rooms?"

Papyrus shook his head quickly. "ACTUALLY, I-IS IT ALRIGHT IF I SLEEP HERE?"

"can't sleep by yourself, papyrus?" Sans asked, earning a head shake from his brother. "alright then." He stretched himself out on the couch beside Andi, taking the remote and turning off the television. "looks like i'm crashing here for the night too."

Andi looked from Papyrus at the far end of the couch, who was busy getting comfortable, to Frisk who had almost passed out next to her, though was still shivering from the film being fresh in her mind, to Sans sitting next to her. "Alright then. It'll be a little squished, but we should all fit." She pulled the covers closer to her and the tired girl. "Sans, could you get the lights?"

"sure thing, Andi." Sans glanced at the light switch and raised his hand.

"Um, Sans? You need to get off the couch to get the lights." He knew that, obviously, so why wasn't he moving? It was literally a few feet away.

"heh. no need, andi." Sans closed his eyes for a second before opening them.

"Oh..." Andi gaped at the skeleton. His right pupil had disappeared entirely, leaving only his left eye, which now glowed a bright cyan around the single white pupil. Wisps of magic drifted from the socket like blue flames, trailing out of his skull and barely creeping up to the top of his head. "... uh..." _what is...?_

"I probably... should've warned you about that," Frisk said sleepily. Papyrus had already nodded off, and though Frisk wasn't watching them, she must have been aware enough of what Sans was doing. "Sans-" she yawned, "-has magical... psychokinesis."

_And how do you know a word like that? _"Yeah, that would've... been a nice thing to know," she murmured. She continued to stare at Sans, finding it hard to look away from his eye. Could Papyrus do that too, or was it unique only to him? Would it be the same color, because blue didn't really fit the younger brother.

"i know i'm easy on the eyes, but it's not polite to stare." _Oops. _She looked away, realizing the mistake.

"Sorry. Just a little surprised." Which was the truth. She hadn't expected that out of the monster. When it came to his powers, she thought it would be the same as Papyrus. Just bones, normal and blue, and possibly the gravity altering magic.

"it's okay, andi. probably should've given you a warning." He turned back to look at the light switch. "watch." Sans narrowed his eyes, and the same blue glow as his left eye enveloped the switch and his raised hand. Unlike his socket, the blue flames rose much higher around his fingers, drifting through the faint connections of the bones. The switch lit up in the same color, though it was much dimmer than the rest of the magic, and with a flick of his wrist, the switch went down. The room plunged into darkness, leaving the only light to come from Sans himself.

"impressed?" Sans smirked as his eyes returned to normal, the glowing white pupils studying her reaction as the magic died out around his hand.

"Very," Andi admitted. She looked over at Frisk and Papyrus, both completely asleep now. The younger girl still snuggled against her, smiling peacefully. _You needed this, kid. You needed the break. _Yawning, she shuffled her body deeper into the cocoon of blankets. "Mmmmm… much better than the inn. Heh. goodnight, Sans," she mumbled, closing her eyes.

"heh... yeah, it is." _Yeah... what? _He sighed, and she felt him crawl under the blankets next to her. "night, andi."

_Y__eah, __it is, __what? _She repeated the tired words in her head again, giving a soft frown under the covers. What was he agreeing to? She never said anything for him to agree to, except for the part about the inn. Then again, why would he, since he lived in the town itself? Whatever. She was too tired to think about it anymore tonight. _But, still... 'yeah, it is'... to what, exactly?_

* * *

"ARE YOU SURE YOU TWO CANNOT STAY ANY LONGER?" Papyrus asked. "THERE ARE MANY MORE PUZZLES THAT I HAVE YET TO SHOW YOU."

"Sorry, Papyrus, but Frisk and I really need to get on our way," Andi explained as she threw her bag over her shoulder. She undid the hiking pole, strapping it back onto her wrist. "Where's Sans? Isn't he gonna say goodbye?"

"I AM NOT QUITE SURE, ANDI. HE LEFT EARLY THIS MORNING FOR WORK, AND I AM A VERY EARLY RISER." Papyrus thought it over. "VERY UNUSUAL THOUGH… SANS NEVER TOOK HIS WORK SERIOUSLY BEFORE..." he put a hand to his chin, looking to the side in suspicion.

"Who knows?" She shrugged. "But I'm certain we'll pass him on our way to the Capital. After all, he did say he had a post at the entrance of Waterfall. Ready Frisk?"

Frisk finished tying her laces and stood next to Andi, smiling up at her. "Ready. It was nice hanging out with you, Papyrus!"

"YOU TOO, FRISK!" He opened the door. "FAREWELL, HUMANS! I HOPE WE SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN SOON!"

"Bye, Papyrus!" Andi and Frisk shouted as they headed towards the exit of Snowdin. "I really hope we can keep in contact with him," Andi said as they passed through the fog bank again. The damp air clung to the fabric of her sweater, and she could feel the temperature change the further they went. The pole was held out in front of them, searching for anything that would trip them up.

"Don't worry Andi!" Frisk pulled out the phone from her pocket, giving it a wave. "I've got his number!"

"Hehe, nice… whoa." Waterfall definitely lived up to its name, as she had predicted. Waterfalls flowed down from the surface, either running down from cracks in the ceiling, or cascading over the sloping rock walls along the side, adding to the large river that flowed beside them. The area was warmer than Snowdin, and all around them, the slick rock walls were decorated with hundreds of glowing crystals, embedded within their surfaces "Beautiful," Andi murmured as she traced a yellow stone with her finger. "This place is breathtaking, isn't it Frisk."

"Yeah," Frisk smiled at the young woman's expression. "This way. I think I see someone up ahead."

* * *

Sans relaxed behind his post, keeping a mellow grin on for the passing monsters. Truthfully, he didn't feel as happy as he should've been, which was probably due to what occurred last night. He drew his brow bones together in frustration, and sighed.

The timeline was definitely a change from the usual. A pacifist run, yet with changes that were extremely hard to ignore. For one, he waited much longer than he expected for the kid to leave the Ruins. Two, was that they never had her spend the night. She always stayed at the inn, no matter if she managed to get a decent sleep or not. Sometimes, he'd find her passed out along the path in Waterfall, a location she had deemed safe from Undyne's watchful eye, and loaned her his hoodie as a blanket until they met up again. And three... there was the new human.

_andi. _Her entire existence in the Underground was a question that only Frisk knew, and he had only bits and pieces of the truth. What made the woman so essential in Frisk's plan? What made her think that the addition of another human in this mess would make things better?

Groaning, he rubbed the space between his sockets. "couldn't the kid make sense for once?"

"Um, Sans?" His sockets widened as Andi and Frisk approached the stand, watching him curiously. "Are you okay? You weren't there to see us off with Papyrus," the young woman said. "And are... you okay?"

"oh." He did leave rather quickly, did he? "it's nothin', andi. just needed to get something done. little tired, but i'm right as rain. as you can see," he gestured to his station. "i've got multiple jobs, and multiple jobs means a lot more legally-required breaks."

"I don't know if that's cleverness, or just you being lazy again," Andi remarked, resting both of her hands on her pole.

Sans shrugged. "who knows. i'm going to grillby's. wanna come?"

Andi and Frisk looked at each other before facing him, grinning. "Of course!" Frisk said happily, holding Andi's sleeve.

"Besides, we haven't actually had anything to eat yet, and you did say you were gonna treat us," Andi added, looking down at the kid. "It'd be a good idea to grab something to eat before our journey."

"i did, huh? well, if you insist… i'll pry myself away from my work..." he walked around his station and stood next to Andi. "over here. i know a shortcut."

Andi looked at him warily before following, letting Frisk take her free hand instead of continuing to grab her sleeve. "you mind putting that pole of yours on your bag again?" She didn't argue, taking the strap off and putting it away. "thanks." He slid his bony hand into her empty one, winking. "hold on."

"What do you mean 'hold on'-?" Andi's voice was cut off as he teleported the three of them into Grillby's, standing in front of the door. "… oh. You know, you should've given a warning the last time you did that."

Sans chuckled. If she never knew about that talent of his, he guessed he must've scared her pretty well when he vanished from the table. "yeah, i probably should've. but hey, fast shortcut, huh? hey, everyone." The patrons of the restaurant shouted their welcomes from their seats, giving him a warm reception, and he let go of Andi's hand to give a wave.

"Hey, Sans. Hi, Sans," Dogamy and Dogaressa said from their table, voices intermingling with the greetings as they walked through the bar.

"Hey Sans, weren't you just here for breakfast a few minutes ago?" A bird monster at the counter asked.

"nah, i haven't had breakfast in at least half an hour," he replied, winking. "you must be thinking of brunch."

The patrons laughed at his answer, and he made his way to three empty stools at the bar. "I'm a little surprised. I wouldn't have thought you were that popular, Sans," Andi informed him, looking around. Grillby's wasn't overly decorative, but the atmosphere was one he appreciated. Comforting, quiet, and a place to escape from the outside world. Grillby always kept the lights on the dim side, as anything brighter tended to bother his vision, but it seemed to improve the ambiance, in his opinion.

"what can i say? i'm the serif around these parts." The human gave a mix of a laugh and a groan, stuck on whether she should find the pun funny or not. "here, get comfy."

"Thanks Sans." She hoisted herself up onto the seat, feet barely touching the floor. Sans grinned at Frisk as a loud 'pfffffft' sound came from underneath her, and she turned to give them an unimpressed look. "There's a whoopee cushion underneath me, isn't there?"

"hehehe. yep. you oughta watch where you sit down. sometimes weirdos put whoopee cushions on the seats."

"You mean weirdos like you?" She replied, not missing a beat. She stood up enough to take the toy out from under her, and tossed it off to the side by the jukebox, away from her and the other monsters around the room.

"maybe." Sans sat at the far end, allowing Frisk to sit in between them. "anyway, let's order. whaddya want: burger or fries?"

"I'll have the burger," Andi said, with Frisk nodding in agreement. "Though, I am curious if they have anything else."

"they do, but i figured something simple would be better." Cheaper too, but he wouldn't tell them that. "burgers, huh? that sounds pretty good. grillby, we'll have a triple order of burg." Grillby nodded, putting the glass he was cleaning away and went into the back to get our food. Sans scratched the back of his skull before turning to Frisk. "so, what do you think… of my brother?"

Frisk smiled at him, happy to answer. "He's pretty cool, right, Andi?"

"Yep," she agreed. "Papyrus sure is something else."

He nodded at their answers. "of course he's cool. you'd be cool too if you wore that outfit every day. he'd only take that thing off if he absolutely had to." He shrugged. "oh well. at least he washes it. and by that i mean he wears it in the shower."

The group laughed at the idea as Grillby returned from the kitchen, three burgers in hand. Once he placed them down, he went back to cleaning the glass he left behind. "here comes the grub. want some ketchup?" Sans asked Andi, picking up the glass bottle Grillby had left on the counter for him.

The young woman looked like she was about to say yes, until Frisk discretely shook her head. "Um, no thanks. I'm more of a BBQ sauce person."

"suit yourself. more for me then." He brought the bottle up to his mouth, taking a long sip from the condiment. Setting down the glass container, Sans turned to look at Andi's dumbfounded face, taking note of how there was no signs of where the ketchup met his sealed teeth. "told you i didn't need a tongue to taste things."

"Yeah, I, uh... guess so..." Andi said, tilting her head as she recalled the previous conversation. "B-but you still don't have a throat. If anything, I'm still confused as to how that works."

"and i'll never answer that," he grinned. Her confusion over something so minor was amusing, and from how she behaved while traversing through Snowdin's forest, she was clearly trying to put logic behind everything. How magic behaved, why it was snowing in the Underground. Logic and magic, well... it was a concept that she would never understand. Heck, Frisk probably didn't understand most of it either. "well, anyway, cool or not, you have to agree papyrus tries real had. like how he keeps trying to be part of the royal guard."

"How exactly did Papyrus get involved with the royal guard anyway?" Andi asked, jumping onto the new topic.

"one day, he went to the house of the head of the royal guard," he began, swirling the contents of the ketchup bottle around. "and begged her to let him be in it. of course, she shut the door on him because it was midnight. but the next day, she woke up and saw him still waiting there. seeing his dedication, she decided to give him warrior training." Sans grinned sheepishly at Andi. "it's, uh, still a work in progress.

"That doesn't surprise me," she mused. "Papyrus may say he wants to hunt for humans, but he would never actually harm anyone to the point of serious injury." Oh, he knew. He watched that fight first-hand.

From the treeline, viewing the two of them dodge and jump the bone attacks. His brother had let up on aiming the bones at Andi when she fell, and neither she nor the kid laid a single punch. No knife swing. It... it was a welcoming sight. One he much needed. _sure she saw me though. _She never breathed a word of it, but he was certain Andi had seen him. Why she never brought it up, he didn't know. Most likely, she was following the same guidelines as the rest of them: waiting for the right moment to explain and ask about everything.

_when that time comes... oh, boy. _Sans sat in silence as the girls ate their burgers. If he had to take a guess, it wouldn't be until Hotland when everything would become clear to Andi. What would she think, once her new friend and little sister-someone she knew for years-came clean? "hmm... oh yeah, i wanted to ask you something. have you two ever heard of a talking flower?"

Andi blinked, and her grip on the burger tightened, squishing the bun with her fingernails. He knew she already knew about Flowey, but he doubted she knew about the echo flowers. "No, Sans," she eventually answered, her tone neutral. "I don't think I know of a talking flower."

"i'll tell ya, then. the echo flower. they're all over the marsh. say something to them, and they'll repeat it over and over…" Andi sat the burger down, while Frisk finished hers. _must've lost her appetite. _

"Why are you telling us this, Sans?" Frisk asked slowly, also aware of how Andi's mood had slipped.

"well, papyrus told me something interesting the other day. sometimes, when no one else is around… a flower appears and whispers things to him. flattery… advice… encouragement… predictions." The word came out low, emphasizing the danger that Papyrus was walking into. No matter the timeline, he always had trouble catching that murderous buttercup. He would find Papyrus when he wasn't around, and say things. Getting into his skull, planting ideas, and he hated it.

Sans mentally frowned when Andi shifted uncomfortably in her seat. He didn't mean to make her feel nervous, but she needed to know how manipulative that little weed is. "weird, huh? someone must be using an echo flower to play a trick on him. keep an eye out, okay?"

"O-okay," Andi stuttered. "Don't worry, Sans. We won't let anyone mess with Papyrus." A determined look spread across her face. "They'd have to go through Frisk and me first."

"thanks." He grinned, and hopped off the stool. "welp, that was a long break. i can't believe i let you two pull me away from work for that long. oh, by the way..." I turned back to the girls. "i'm flat broke. can you foot the bill? it's just 10000G."

"Sans!" The older human exclaimed, laughing. "You gotta try harder than that! I may not be familiar with the currency down here, but even I know that's wrong! G, huh? Better than just referring to it as gold coins the entire time," she added as an afterthought.

"meh. can't blame a skeleton for tryin'. grillby, put it on my tab." He headed towards the door before looking back at Andi. "by the way… i was going to say something, but i forgot." Sans grinned as he left the bar, immediately taking a shortcut back to his sentry station the moment the door closed behind him. "that went well." Easing back into his seat, he allowed his mind to wander once again.

_this timeline is definitely different than the previous ones, _he concluded. _not saying that's a bad thing though. _After all... he'd been through much, much worse. Bringing his head back up, he watched as Andi and Frisk returned to the small cave, the child pressing the air where a save point probably was located. **The sound of rushing water fills you with determination****. **"hey. let's hang out again sometime."

"Sure, Sans," Andi smiled. "We'll see you at the end of Waterfall. Race you, kid?"

Frisk grinned. "You're on. Three, two, one!" She took off, sprinting down the path and footsteps echoing around the cavern.

"Hey! That's cheating!" Andi cried as she ran after the kid, laughing. "Give me a warning!"

"hehe." _yep. _Sans placed his skull in his hand, still looking at the direction the girls took. t_his timeline really is more different than the rest. _"now... just have to keep it goin' as it is."

* * *

**Until next time!**

**Angel**


	8. Misteries Wait in Darkness

**Disclaimer: So Waterfall... puns.**

**I don't own Undertale.**

"Speaking"

_Thinking_

"**Reading**"

**Saving**

* * *

"Andi! Check this out!" Once having passed Sans, their impromptu race ending with Frisk being the victor-which was no surprise, given she had won the past race above ground-the child took off down a wooden ramp that led below the waterfall. "I found another camera!"

"Another one?" The young woman muttered. Her voice was drowned out by the pounding of the water, rushing over the edge and falling into the dark abyss next to them. "Wow. This guy's really persistent in their spying." Still, nothing bad had happened yet. That was a comforting thought, and she continued to cling to it. Frisk walked back up the wooden walkway, water dripping off her hands and sleeves. "Either way, it's still not as big of a concern as getting through Waterfall."

Snowdin was much more open, located in a very large cavern. _Caverns, probably. _Waterfall, judging from its looks, was a series of caves and tunnels, and the ceiling rising and dipping wherever they went. Wading through the slightly chilly water, with a current that thankfully wasn't strong enough to knock them off their feet and only push them sideways a little, they climbed out and approached a large patch of grass that almost reached the top of her head, covering the entire path.

She didn't say anything, and maybe it was paranoia talking, but Andi felt something... bad was about to happen. Waterfall was much darker than Snowdin, with not as many holes to let light leak in from the Surface above. It mostly relied on the glowing crystals, mushrooms, and flowers decorating the landscape. "I don't like this," she whispered, and began to enter the grass.

Brushing the plants out of her way, she had almost stepped out back into the open before Frisk grabbed her hand, pulling her onto the ground. "Frisk, wh-?" Frisk covered Andi's mouth, looking nervously above them. _What's gotten her so spooked?_

"H… HI UNDYNE! I'M HERE WITH MY DAILY REPORT..." _Is that... Papyrus?_

"Thathyrus?" She quietly said behind Frisk's hand, before reaching up and peeling it off. What purpose did he have to do in... report. Undyne. _The... leader of the Royal Guard. _Well, this wasn't good.

"UHHH… REGARDING THOSE HUMANS I CALLED YOU ABOUT EARLIER… HUH? DID I FIGHT THEM?" Papyrus' voice, while not the same boisterous volume it usually was, was still loud enough for them to hear. "Y-YES! OF COURSE I DID! I FOUGHT THEM VALIANTLY! … WHAT? DID I CAPTURE THEM…? W-W-WELL… NO. I TRIED VERY HARD, UNDYNE, BUT IN THE END… I FAILED." Did he mean that in how he was willing to sacrifice his dream to protect them, or that he did fail in his mission? Either way, the two humans listened in on conversation intently. While Undyne's voice was too muffled to hear, it was only Papyrus' responses that they needed.

"… W-WHAT? YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE THE HUMANS' SOULS YOURSELF… BUT UNDYNE, YOU DON'T H-HAVE TO DESTROY THEM! YOU SEE… Y-YOU SEE… I UNDERSTAND. I'LL HELP YOU IN ANY WAY I CAN." Footsteps echoed around them, signalling the skeleton's departure. His final words were defeated, pained, and it hurt the girls to hear Papyrus cornered with no room to back out of the argument. Undyne was set on getting them, and she would not let her fellow Royal Guard members duck out. Though, even with Papyrus' absence, there was still no movement from the other monster above.

"Quietly," Andi whispered, voice barely loud enough for Frisk to pick up on. They looked ahead of them, where the end of the grass was, and shuffled forward. They had barely moved an inch, however, when loud metallic footsteps approached the edge of the cliff. Nervously, the two looked upwards, spotting the armour wearing monster looking down at where the foliage shifted. Were they hidden enough? Was the grass tall enough to mask them from sight, or did they crush enough walking through to make them visible to her prying eyes? Andi had no idea. All she could do was sit and pray they weren't pulled into a fight. Papyrus was one thing, but the boss of the Royal Guard was a matter entirely different. Rested or not, they were not ready to enter another round.

Undyne summoned a large glowing blue spear, almost as tall as her, and held it high above her head. It was aimed in their direction, almost daring for more movement to happen. Frisk and Andi sat frozen, each holding their breath; the slightest intake might break the spell. Undyne surveyed the area, and relinquished the spear, letting it fade from existence. _Finally. _The monster backed away from the cliff, and soon, the sound of footsteps vanished altogether.

"... is Undyne gone?" Andi whispered to Frisk.

"I-I think so." Frisk and her stood back up and walked out of the grass, only to hear small footsteps run up behind them. The girls turned around to see the monster child, the one Frisk had spoken to earlier, behind them. The kid bounced on the balls of his feet, practically ecstatic with a smile on his face.

"Yo… did you see the way she was staring at you…? That… was AWESOME! I'm SOOO jealous! What'd you do to get her attention…? Ha ha! C'mon! Let's go watch her beat up some bad guys!" The young monster cheered and started running down the path, only to fall on his face. _Whoops. _Quickly, he pushed himself back up, using his head to get the momentum, and continued racing down the trail.

"Heh, well," Andi sighed. "I'm glad that's over." She wiped the sweat from her forehead. "But that means until we get through this section, we'll have to be cautious." She looked around Frisk, and not waiting for a reply, moved to the golden star a few feet ahead of them. _What will you say this time?_

**Despite the danger now up against you, you remained filled with determination and patience. **Frisk smiled wearily at the words, walking past her to another waterfall. While it flowed not from above, but below, it still ran the risk of being problematic. In fact, it looked much deeper than the one before.

"When four bridge seeds align in the water, they will sprout." Andi looked back, seeing Frisk gather four pink seeds into her arms, each with four leaves already sprouting from them. Nestling at the water's edge, she began to push them away, letting them float across. "Hehe!" The girls watched as the bulbs bloomed into pinkish-white flowers, creating a path to the other side.

Still cautious, Andi pushed down on the plant, testing its strength, and found it capable of crossing. The roots had intertwined, piercing the ground at both sides to lock it into place. "Alright." Passing the bridge, and crossing a small wooden one to enter a larger cavern, they had little time to look around as a monster threw itself out of the water and onto the land in front of them. In appearance, he looked like a horse, with a damp brown coat and black mane from being underwater, but with a green fish tail… and a six-pack? _Huh?_

"Aaron," Frisk muttered. Her tone was displeased, and Andi had to wonder why. Besides Aaron showing off his biceps, rather too much, she didn't see why the kid wasn't as happy with him as the other encounters. Frisk sighed, not saying anything more about the newcomer, and stepped forward to flex her own muscles.

Aaron watched her before grinning and flexing twice as hard. "Flexing contest? Okay, flex more," he winked.

Frisk and Andi dodged the attacks sent their way, giving the shape of the monster's flexing muscles, weaving in and out. "Yeah... I'm not fond either," Andi said to her, quietly as to not let Aaron hear.

Frisk offered a little smile, seeing that she had caught on, and continued to flex her small arms. Though, it was no match for Aaron. His arms were built for this contest, and he clearly would not let himself lose. "Nice!" He commended. "I won't lose though."

"Are you certain?" Though she would rather avoid the silliness of persuading monsters not to fight them, there was something enjoyable about it all the same. So, decided to get roped in while Frisk could clearly carry the rest of the fight, Andi rolled up her sleeves and flexed her own muscles as much as she could. It wasn't as significant as his own, but it was still a better try than Frisk's.

Aaron grinned at her, finding the attitude amusing, and flexed his own as hard as he could. Perhaps a little too much, as he lost his balance and tumbled back into the water. "Oops. I... hope he's okay." Andi nabbed the thirty gold coins left behind, pocketing them as Frisk ran ahead to gather more bridge seeds.

Running back to the bridge, Frisk began to let them float towards the end of the cave, lining up one by one. Once the buds bloomed upon the final's arrival, the girls headed towards a dark tunnel in the wall, when the phone began to ring.

"HELLO! THIS IS PAPYRUS!" The taller skeleton's voice rang from the speaker. _Papyrus? When did he get our number? _

"Hi, Papyrus. Guess you got the number from Frisk, huh?" Though she had kept the phone on her the entire time, with how the kid spoke minutes earlier, she must have had the number memorized after telling Papyrus their own.

"EXACTLY, ANDI! AFTER ALL, FRIENDS SHOULD BE ABLE TO REACH EACH OTHER WHEREVER THEY ARE! I HAVE ALSO GIVEN YOURS TO SANS WHILE STOPPING BY HIS WATERFALL POST, JUST IN CASE YOU CANNOT REACH ME." That meant that during their hangout, they swapped numbers, with Sans and her not even aware of it. _Since this clearly didn't happen during supper or the movie. _"SO… WHAT ARE YOU TWO WEARING? I'M… ASKING FOR A FRIEND. SHE THOUGHT SHE SAW ONE OF YOU WEARING A FADED RIBBON. IF I RECALL, YOU ARE WEARING A FADED RIBBON, CORRECT?"

"Uh..." The young woman looked from Frisk to the phone. "Y-yeah, I am." She reached up to her ponytail, feeling the material against her fingertips.

"GOT IT! WINK WINK! HAVE A NICE DAY!" The phone clicked, and she hurried to put Papyrus into their contact list. He would call back, without a doubt. There would most certainly be more updates on the matter of Undyne.

"Why do I think it was Undyne who asked this?" Andi asked, shoving the phone back into her pocket.

"Because it was," Frisk replied. Of course it was. Who else would be asking about their outfits? "Are you keeping the ribbon in?"

Would she? There... wasn't any harm at the moment. Besides, it didn't stand out that much against her hair color. "I'll keep it in for now," she decided. Andi looked at the tunnel. "Is that where we gotta go next?"

"Yep." Frisk walked up to the entrance, darkness leaking out of it. "We better hurry if Undyne's looking for us." _No argument there, kid._

The hole revealed a long corridor full of echo flowers, drifting in an invisible wind that passed through the cave. "A long time ago," the flower closest to them began, its soft voice dancing around the room. "Monsters would whisper their wishes to the stars in the sky. If you hoped with all your heart, your wish would come true. Now, all we have are these sparkling stones on the ceiling..."

"That's a sad thought," Andi commented as she stroked the light blue petals. Though the speaking and glow was different than anything she could find on the surface, they were just like any other flower. _Like any other. Flowers always have meanings to them. What would theirs be? _She looked up at the roof of the tunnel, the shining stones reflecting down on her and Frisk. "They really do look like stars..."

"Thousands of people wishing together can't be wrong! The king will prove that." Frisk and Andi continued down the path, listening to the luminescent flowers. The ground occasionally was speckled in light blue grass, the same shade as the petals, and a cool breeze blew through the tunnel past them. Flora fluttered with each gust, coming from the direction they were aimed for. "C'mon, sis! Make a wish!"

"I guess this is a sibling's conversation," she noted. "Bet the rest of the plants will have the rest of the discussion." _Maybe. Or it could be more... of the other thing. _Andi heard shuffling footsteps and watched as a lime green monster walked up to them, with its body resembling a bathtub, complete with a yellow bird floating inside.

"Hello," Frisk said, giving it a friendly wave. "We've been on a very long journey, and we need to freshen up."

Andi gave the kid a blank look. "Um… Frisk? What are you doing?" She didn't answer, only holding up a hand for her to keep quiet. The monster launched an attack of swirling white raindrops, but within the bits of white, there were several green attacks. Frisk ran towards the green, and just like the monster fight back in the Ruins, healed the few scratches she had gained when hiding from Undyne.

The monster hopped about excitedly, satisfied with its mission of cleanliness, and walked away, leaving behind 25G. Once she pocketed the gold, Andi went up to the next echo flower. _What do you have to say? _"I wish my sister and I will see the real stars someday..."

"Ah… seems my horoscope is the same as last week's..." Frisk giggled at the other flower's words at the end of the hallway. _Horoscope, huh? What are the chances that it's Papyrus saying that? _She walked over to the telescope set up in the fork in the road, peering into it.

Reflecting on her flower's wish, Andi leaned against the wall next to the stargazer. _It's been centuries since monsters were on the surface. That means nobody down here has ever seen what stars really are. _In a normal world, such an idea seemed foolish. Stars were everywhere, and you could always see them, as long as the sky was clear. In the Underground, there was no sky. No natural wind, unlike the breezes they felt already, or changing seasons. From bright colorful flowers to, to the orange, red, and yellow hues of an autumn day. The wonders she had enjoyed right before falling, gazing out over Ebott from the mountain top, didn't exist there. "... what do you see?"

"I see… a message on the ceiling," Frisk observed. She did not appear to see her guardian's low face, or detect the quietness of the question. "Check the wall."

"Wall?" Andi looked down the other path, seeing the dead end. Walking up to the wall, she rapped her knuckles against the dirt and stone, watching bits wear off and fall to her feet. "Hmm... I got it." Frisk walked up to Andi as the adult backed up, bouncing on her feet. She ran forward, and threw her body against the wall, crashing through to the other side as it collapsed from the hit. "Found it! Her voice echoed from within the cave, giving a laugh at her victory.

Frisk laughed too, stepping into the room and helping Andi up off the ground. Her sweater and jeans were covered in a faint layer of dirt, small rocks getting caught in the woven blue fabric. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I just didn't expect it to fall that easily." She looked around the cavern. It was darker, lacking a lot of the plant light from before. The area was surrounded in marshes, and their platform being a large wooden dock. Alongside the wall, what grabbed her attention, was a series of plaques. Their writing almost seemed to glow, each one a continuation of the previous. "What's all this?"

"They're signs that tell the Underground's past." Frisk wiped the dust off of one, her face neutral. "The War of Humans and Monsters."

"The war?" Andi repeated. The legend, that caused the monsters to be banished from the surface to below Mount Ebott. These explained all of that?

Frisk nodded sadly, and she began to read the signs on the walls. "**Why did the humans attack? Indeed, it seemed that they had nothing to fear. Humans are unbelievably strong. It would take the soul of nearly every monster… just to equal the power of a single human soul**."

The blood slowly drained from Andi's face as Frisk continued to read, her voice calm and devoid of emotion. "**But humans have one weakness. Ironically, it is the strength of their soul. Its power allows it to persist outside the human body, even after death.**" Frisk moved to another sign. "**If a monster defeats a human, they can take its soul. A monster with a human soul… a horrible beast with unfathomable power.**"

She ran her fingers across the worn sign, fingers dipping in and out of the engraved lettering, her eyes wide in disbelief and horror. _This… this is why Flowey wanted to get __our__ souls, __and __why Asgor__e__ want__ed__ any fallen humans brought to him__. _Flowey, he wanted their souls for power, right from the beginning. And Asgore, all to break the barrier that humans trapped them in. That her kind had trapped them in. "Andi?" Frisk's voice broke her thoughts, finally catching her distressed expression. "Are you... okay?"

"I… I don't know anymore, Frisk." She gave a sad laugh. "I just don't know anymore." What she knew, was that there was so much at fault with the past humans, that they were now blamed for their mistakes. That Frisk and Sans and Flowey knew things that they weren't telling her, leaving her in a dark she did not want. All of it, everything, was hurting her. A struggle.

Frisk slowly took the older girl's hand, rubbing her thumb over the back. Hearing a sharp inhale from the young woman, she squeezed her hand. Andi... she didn't break. Not often. She usually kept herself composed, but now...? "It's okay, Andi. We're alright. It's not your fault for all of this."

_Your fault. Frisk... why didn't you say 'our fault'? _"Isn't it, Frisk?" Andi looked down at her, choosing to respond to her words rather than the wording itself. "Humans are the reason why this entire civilization has been trapped for perhaps a thousand years, maybe even more."

Frisk remained silent, and Andi took another shaky breath before looking at her. Really looking at her. Frisk's eyes darted to the side, and her free hand was tight in a fist, gripping the side of her sweater. "... I know I've... been quiet about stuff. But if it makes things easier... the reason why monsters are hunting humans... it's because of a human child, a monster child, and a... a tragic accident."

_What? _With that, any doubt, any belief that Frisk had never been in the Underground before had up and went. Frisk... knew things, she knew that, but... something this important? Something that no one would even have an idea about? After all this time, at long last, the child had broken her silence.

Frisk led her down the path. "There was sadness, guilt…, anger. The humans made a mistake, and attacked the monsters because they believed that the monster had killed the human child. The humans attacked because they had lost one of their own."

The two slowed to a stop on the boardwalk, the younger letting Andi digest the information. "Wow. I-I never would've guessed the reason behind the war was because of… that." Because how on earth would she have even guessed that? There was no hint at there being any children involved, outside of the ones that had fallen down. Was this child Frisk talked about one of them? Or did that exclude them?

"Are you okay now, Andi?" Frisk looked up at her in the dark room.

"Ye-yeah. I'm better now." Not really, but it did clear up some things. It was nice, that Frisk wasn't as secretive as she was before. _If only that will continue through this trip._ "Come on." Andi and Frisk started off, when a blue spear flew through the air, piercing the wood in front of them and vanishing just as fast as it had appeared.

"Aahh!" Andi pulled Frisk backwards, the spear narrowly missing where her foot was about to step. The heavy sound of metal footsteps led them to look up on a ledge, and the knight from before walked out of the darkness, blue spears floating around her with a commanding wave of her hand.

_Undyne. _"Run!" The young woman dragged Frisk behind her, dodging the barrage of spears launched at them. Undyne threw her weapons ahead of where they ran, forcing the girls into quickly changing their direction. Left and right, sudden stops and starts, but continuing forward.

"In there!" Frisk shouted, shoving Andi onto the ground inside a large bundle of grass. The girls kept still as the arrows flew over their heads, and eventually came to a halt. _It's just like before. Undyne won't see us, right? She's not over us, so she can't easily see us, right? Right!? _The heavy footsteps approached them from the other side of the grass, and the top of her helmet was just visible enough for them see locate her. Undyne swiftly shoved her hand into the weeds, finding her target and lifting up… the monster child. He gave her an excited grin, eyes sparkling, before being lowered back into the grass. Undyne looked around, and retreated back the way she came, not progressing any further.

"… is she gone?"

"… yeah."

The girls crawled out of the grass before standing up on the other side, panting. The monster child ran out of the grass, practically giddy. "Yo… did you see that!? Undyne just… TOUCHED ME! I'm never washing my face ever again…! Man, are you unlucky. If you and your friend were standing just a LITTLE bit to the left… Yo, don't worry! I'm sure we'll see her again!" He once again ran off ahead of them, but not before falling on his face just as he had earlier.

"Frisk," Andi asked. "Please tell me there's a save point up ahead. It's probably a good idea if we save our progress, especially with Undyne hunting us." She still hated the concept of them, the save points. The idea of death haunted her, but with how things were looking, she was willing to take every measure of staying alive.

"There's one up ahead." Frisk took the lead and led Andi into a small clearing. The only things in the area were a new save point, a single echo flower, and a piece of cheese encased in a pink crystal.

"Squeak," the echo flower repeated, earning a small giggle from Frisk. **Knowing the mouse might one day extract the cheese from the mystical crystal… it fills you with determination****.**They were still a little on edge, but the thought of having saved did make Andi feel a little better.

"Are we good here?" She asked, watching Frisk take her hand away from the star.

"Yep," Frisk confirmed. The girls walked into the next room, the glowing sparkle vanishing from sight, and found Sans waiting for them. A box sat next to him, along with a telescope aimed up at the ceiling.

"hey, girls. how's it goin'?" Andi grinned at the short skeleton, leaning against the wall. At this point, now that she knew about the shortcuts, the fact he could skip ahead of them wasn't confusing anymore. _Wish I knew how he did it though. Is it magic too?_

"It's going well, I suppose. If you keep in mind that a murderous knight is after us," she replied.

"so you've run into undyne, huh? good luck to the both of you then." Sans gestured to the telescope. Its silvery body was covered in small scratches, but was still in very good condition. _We're underground, so there's a chance this fell down here too. _Why would Sans have a telescope otherwise, with no actual stars to watch? "i'm thinking about getting into the telescope business. it's normally 50000G to use this premium telescope… but… since i know you two, you can use it for free. howzabout it?"

"Sure, but I'm not sure how good a view I'll get." With a telescope, you were supposed to see stars. Asteroids, and planets. Not rocks. _It's still a sad thought. No matter how much time passes. _"Could you move a little?" Sans shuffled out of the way, standing next to Frisk as she knelt down to look. "... how come everything's all red?"

"keep trying, andi. you'll find something. so, you enjoyin' waterfall so far?" She shrugged, still hunched over.

"It's really pretty, although... the echo flowers are..." she trailed off. She didn't want to say aloud that hearing their wishes was bringing her down, nor did she want to mention what Frisk had told her. The truth about why Asgore wanted their souls. Did he already know? Perhaps. Sans knew things. _Just... I don't know when's the right time __to ask__. _

Andi eventually removed her face from the telescope, standing back up and looking over at them. Sans chuckled, while Frisk held her hands over her mouth in a giggling fit. "... red, huh? Let me guess, there's ink around my eye?" Frisk gave a quick nod, as Sans walked back over to her, patting her on the shoulder.

"huh? you aren't satisfied? don't worry. i'll give you a full refund," he said, winking.

"Sure, gang up on me, why don't you?" She wiped the ink off with the backside of her hand, and with a smirk, smeared it on Frisk's forehead.

"Hey!" The child cried, hurrying to wipe it off.

"You deserve that, you know." Andi looked back at Sans, who watched their playful interaction with a grin. She had seen him enough that, while it was difficult, she could tell his emotions a little more clearly. The permanent smile made it difficult, but it would rise and lower, and sometimes seemed more forced than normal. Right now, it seemed... relaxed, and at ease. _At ease about what? _"Will we see you up ahead again?"

"i promised i'd keep an eye socket out for you two, didn't i? i'm pretty sure you're not out yet." Sans tilted his skull to the side, winking. That was another thing she noticed. Sans always winked with his left eye, except... there were a few times he did so with his right, and usually, those were around Frisk... _o__verthinking it again._

Andi copied the gesture, laughing. "Ain't that the truth. We'll see you around then. Let's go, Frisk."

"see ya." Sans waved as they made a quick turn down the path next to the skeleton. The trail led them into a small cave with the Nice Cream bunny from before, his stand set up next to him.

"I relocated my story, but there are still no customers… fortunately, I've thought of a solution! Punch cards! Every time you buy a Nice Cream, you can take a punch card from the box. If you have 3 cards, you can trade them for a free Nice Cream! They're sure to get the customers to come back!" He ended his spiel, and focused on the girls. "Nice Cream! It's the frozen treat that warms your heart! Now just 25G!"

Frisk reached into the bag, grabbing several coins. "One, please!" Zippering it back up, she handed over the money.

"Super!" He took the change and gave her the wrapped bar, smiling brilliantly. "Here you go! Your card's in the box!"

"Thanks!" The two left the cave, and continued down the initial trail. Sans wasn't there anymore, having moved on like she expected, and left the telescope behind by the opening. _To where, exactly? __Where'd he go this time?_ Was he waiting somewhere for them to pass by, or another sentry station? "Should I eat this now?"

"I don't think so," Andi said as they crossed over a small bridge, looking at the luminescent water and grass. "Sans just treated us to brunch. Save it for now, and when we get injured or hungry, then you can eat it."

Frisk nodded, and motioned for her to kneel down. She stuffed the bar into the bag, right next to the pie slice from Toriel, and the bundle of other goodies she had given them. She paused, smiling at the sight, before closing the bag and letting Andi stand up again.

"So? Don't you have any wishes to make?" An echo flower said as they walked by. Reeds, lily pads, and glowing blue water surrounded them, with the occasional talking flower. Wooden walkways connected the risen land, and the ground would sink a little with each step.

"… hmmm, just one, but… it's kind of stupid," a different flower replied farther down the trail.

"It sounds like another conversation," Andi noted. "I wonder what they're wishing for?" She went to continue down the path, only for the cell phone to start ringing. "Oh! Frisk, can you get that?"

"Okay." Frisk took the phone from her, and brought it to her ear. "Hello?"

"HELLO! THIS IS PAPYRUS! REMEMBER WHEN I ASKED YOU ABOUT CLOTHES? WELL. THE FRIEND WHO WANTED TO KNOW… HER OPINION OF YOU TWO IS VERY… MURDERY."

_Well that's not very good,_ Andi thought, watching the phone nervously. Her attention was completely on Papyrus now, hanging onto his words. "WELL, WORRY NOT DEAR HUMANS! PAPYRUS WOULD NEVER BETRAY YOU! I AM NOT A CRUEL PERSON. I STRIVE TO BE COMFORTING AND PLEASANT. PAPYRUS! HE SMELLS LIKE THE MOON. SO, BECAUSE OF MY INHERENT GOODNESS… I TOLD HER YOU WERE NOT WEARING A FADED RIBBON! EVEN THOUGH YOU TOLD ME YOU WERE! INSTEAD, I MADE SOMETHING UP! I TOLD HER YOU WERE WEARING A BROWN BAG INSTEAD."

The two looked at the bag on the elder's back, frowning. True, Papyrus might have had it slip his mind about the colour, but unlike the ribbon, that was something they couldn't switch out. Leaving behind the hiking bag would mean leaving behind all of their food, medical supplies; everything that could help them on their journey. "IT PAINED ME TO TELL SUCH A BOLDFACED LIE. I KNOW YOU WOULD NEVER EVER CARRY A BROWN BAG. BUT YOUR SAFETY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN FASHION. DANG! I JUST WANT TO BE FRIENDS WITH EVERYONE…"

The phone clicked, and Frisk looked around the marsh, almost expecting Undyne to pop out at any moment. "Are you alright, Andi?"

"Uh… y-yeah. We can't do anything about the bag, but... maybe I can try and cover it up," Andi hesitantly said as she reached for her ponytail. With a swift pull, the tassels of auburn hair tumbled down just past her shoulder blades. It did little to hide the bag, but it was all they could do.

"Okay." Frisk adjusted the ballet uniform around her hips. "Let's go." The girls continued to cross the marshes, and stopped to listen to the echo flowers' conversation.

"Don't say that! Come on, I promise I won't laugh." Andi paused Frisk from moving on, and read the next plaque out loud.

"**The power to take their souls. This is the power that the humans feared**." She ran her hand across the ancient text, smiling sadly. "The humans never knew the whole story, and they overreacted."

"It really changes your whole perspective, doesn't it?" Frisk said quietly, guiding the young woman away from the wall. _Yeah... it does..._

The path led to a narrow strip of land with water on either side. The cavern had a smaller amount of the glowing crystals, and the water didn't shine nearly as much as the previous area. Andi followed right behind Frisk, the younger girl still directing her where to go. Andi glanced down at Frisk, her short brown hair bouncing with every step, and gave a small smile.

_Incredible how much this world has changed her. Before she fell, she was so soft spoken, and always kept either to herself or me. Now, she's like an entirely different person. _With what she vaguely knew... that statement seemed more honest with every passing moment.

Andi's grin tightened, sighing deeply. _Once we escape Waterfall, that's when I'll start asking her._ Nodding at the idea, she almost didn't notice the pale yellow tentacles rise and fall out of the water. "Um, Frisk? Is… there any monster that lives around here?"

"Hmmm… yes, just one." Frisk's eyes widened when a large bulbous head popped out of the water, staring at them with shining eyes.

"Hey… there… noticed you were… here…" they tilted their head, smiling. "I'm Onionsan! Onionsan, y'here! You're visiting Waterfall, huh!? It's great here, huh! You love it, huh!?"

_They really like to talk, don't they? _Andi gave the octopus-like monster a patient smile. "We do, Onionsan. It's really beautiful, especially the echo flowers and crystals in the walls."

"Yeah! Me too! It's my Big Favorite! Even though, the water's getting so shallow here… I, have to sit down all the time, but..." Onionsan's face fell slightly before smiling at them again. "He-hey! That's okay! It beats moving to the city and living in a crowded aquarium!"

The two were now paying their full attention, listening to the monster's plight. "All of my friends did!" They ducked their head under the water. "And the aquarium's full a-anyway, so, even if I wanted to, I..." Onionsan popped out of the water, smiling brightly. "That's okay though, y'hear!? Undyne's gonna fix everything, y'hear!? I'm gonna get out of here and live in the ocean! Y'here!? Hey..." they raised a tentacle to their mouth, as if they were telling a secret. "There… that's the end of this room. I'll see you around! Have a good time! In Waterfallllll!" Onionsan dragged out the end, slowly sinking back into the water and vanishing from their sight.

"Bye, Onionsan!" Frisk yelled, waving at the still river. She and Frisk were almost out of the room, passing through the archway into the new cavern, when another monster swam up to them. Her light blue scales blended into the blue water, and dark blue hair fell around her shoulders. Frisk smiled. "Shyren. She likes music."

"Music?" Andi thought out loud. _I don't have instruments, and my phone's out of commission to play her any songs. _"Okay… how 'bout this?" She cleared her throat, and vocalized a small tune. Shyren gave a shy smile before following along to the melody.

"Si re, si re si mi si mi." Andi and Frisk swayed their bodies to her tune, dodging the musical note attacks.

"My turn," Frisk said. As the girl hummed along to the melody Andi had started, other monsters drifted towards their little sing-along. Mostly, they were familiar faces. Aaron, Woshua, and some monsters that they had only seen in the Ruins. _Are we making a concert? _Perhaps. They did have an audience.

"Si fa si fa so fa so mi re re," Shyren sang. Andi smiled at the crowd they had attracted, pleased that their attempt in cheering up Shyren had gathered such interest. She looked about the monsters, seeing how much joy they had in watching the shy monster brighten up, and… Sans selling tickets made of toilet paper? _Okay, so you're fine with trying to keep us out of trouble. I get that. But what's the point in doing that? _

Sans must've sensed he was being watched, as he looked over at her, just as she ducked several musical attacks. With each hum, the notes picked up, getting faster with every turn. Still, they were easy to avoid, compared to other attacks. Holding a wad of tickets in his hand, he gave a small wave before returning to work, pocketing the coins as he went.

Andi shrugged, and continued to hum with Frisk, letting the odd moment slide. "Mi si mi si mi si mi la si so," Shyren sang, her attacks now missing the girls on purpose. The crowd cheered widely, and Andi and Frisk shifted uncomfortably under the attention. It was fun, the concert, but they had to continue on their way.

"Shyren, we've to go our separate ways now," Andi said. "But I'm positive you'll have success in the future." She hummed another tune to say goodbye, earning a smile from the fish monster. Shyren sang a final melody before diving under the water again, leaving 30G along the shore for Andi to pick up. Once the coins were stuffed into the book bag, the crowd of monsters had dispersed, and Sans was nowhere in sight.

_There he goes again. _"That was fun," Frisk said as she walked into another fork in the road. "Did you see Sans too?"

"How could I not? He's been following us the entire time." Which, now that she thought about it, was he keeping an eye out even when they couldn't see him? Always being one step ahead, knowing exactly where they were. He had to be.

Frisk walked up to a sign on the wall. "**A haunting song echoes down the corridor… won't you play along? Only the first 8 are fine.**"

"Song?" Andi asked. She paused to listen, but only heard the sound of water raining down from above them, echoing through the tunnels. "I don't hear any music."

"It should be up ahead. We'll turn back when we find it." Frisk turned around and led them back the way they came. Once they arrived at the crossroads, they headed down the left path, the one previously ignored, and found more plaques detailing monster history.

"**This power has no counter. Indeed, a human cannot take a monster's soul. When a monster dies, its soul disappears. And an incredible power would be needed to take the soul of a living monster.**" Andi swallowed the lump in her throat and read the final sign. "**There is only one exception. The soul of a special species of monster called a ****b****oss ****m****onster. A ****b****oss ****m****onster's soul is strong enough to persist after death… if only for a few moments. A human could absorb this soul. But this has never happened. And now it never will**."

Andi looked from the sign to Frisk. "Th-that's it then. Everyone thought it was because of the power of a monster with a human's soul that the humans attacked. If the king and queen could've explained what happened... maybe this whole thing could've been avoided." _Maybe._

"Yep," Frisk agreed sadly and led them down the trail and past a statue. Water drizzled from somewhere above it, dampening the cool stone. Andi ran her hand across its face, not noticing Frisk had run ahead. Its head hung low, hands drawn together and rested in a seated position. Droplets fell from the long horns on each side of its head, forming small puddles around it.

"You must've seen a lot sitting here," she said to the statue. "It must be lonely." Andi looked up at the skylight that dripped water onto the structure. "And damp too." There was a lake around Ebott, and while she doubted all of the water they've seen around Waterfall came from it, it must have supplied some. But who could really judge the weather in the Underground? There was snow, and she still could not come up with an explanation for that.

Footsteps rang down the corridor and Frisk returned, carrying a red umbrella. "Here we go!" She announced, and placed the umbrella into the statue's hands. Andi's eyes widened as a music box began to play from inside it. The melody was simple, but...

"That's the song, isn't it?" _From the plaque. _She stood there, listening to the song play on. The music echoing around the cavern, paired with the statue... Andi knew exactly what it was. "It's a memorial."

"I... guess it is." It was an odd place for it, and showed signs of age, but it was something that was made to immortalize the memory of someone. Who... Andi didn't know. The only person who bore any resemblance to the statue was Toriel, but she was very much still alive. _Heh. _She glanced over to Frisk, who stared at the memorial with a small frown. _Bet you know who it's for. _"Let's... go check out the other room."

"Sure, kid." The girls took their time in walking back to the path not yet taken, and found a lone piano resting against the wall. The wood was splintering in places, luminescent flora growing around its base. Frisk hummed the tune, pressing each note as she changed her pitch. All the while, her smile did not return as strongly as it was before, the statue still sticking out in their minds. A loud noise came from in front of them, revealing a now open door in the wall. She and Andi looked at each other before walking into the new room.

The room itself was empty, save for a pedestal at the far end, bearing an orange-red sphere. The glowing rocks cast light around them, and the orb shimmered, silently beckoning them to come closer. "Cool." _Wonder what this will do? _Andi reached forward to grab it, eagerly ready to pocket their treasure, when a message popped up in her head. Wait, no, not a message. A... voice, similar to the save points. **You are carrying too many dogs.**

… _what? _"Andi?" Frisk spoke up, looking from the sphere to her. "I think there's something in the bag."

_There is__? _Curious, Andi knelt down and opened the book bag. A white snout popped out of the opening, and the rest of a white fluffy dog followed. The very same dog that had stolen Papyrus' attack. Barking, the dog jumped towards the pedestal, leaping onto the top and sniffed the sphere.

"H-hey! What are you doing? Get back here!" She yelled. The dog ignored her, more focused on a potentially new toy, and somehow swallowed the large sphere. Or maybe... absorbing it would be a better choice of wording. The dog quickly jumped off the platform and ran out the door, leaving the speechless human behind. "It just... but it... h-huh...?"

"Don't bother, Andi." _But how!? How!? _Frisk patted her back, taking the stunned young woman back towards the direction of the statue. The girls went pass the monster statue, stopping at a trash can full of umbrellas. Frisk pulled out another red one and opened it. "Here. You can carry it."

Andi took the handle from her and walked down the path. The drizzling from the ceiling quickened, making the girls grateful for the small shelter. "Yo, you got an umbrella?" Andi and Frisk stopped and saw the monster kid standing in a corner, avoiding the water. "Awesome!" He ran over to them, and ducked underneath the umbrella. "Let's go!"

Andi chuckled at his enthusiasm. "Okay then." The three walked down the path, their footsteps creating small splashes in the puddles. The monster looked up at her, grinning.

"Man, Undyne is soooooo cool. She beats up bad guys and NEVER loses. If I was a human, I would wet the bed every night… knowing she was gonna beat me up!"

"You really look up to her, don't you?" Andi observed.

"Duh! She's awesome!" He stopped walking, making Frisk and Andi halt as well ahead of him. "So, one time. We had a school project where we had to take care of a flower. The king-we had to call him Mr. Dreemurr-volunteered to donate his own flowers. He ended up coming to school and teaching the class about responsibility and stuff. That got me thinking… yo! How COOL would it be if Undyne came to school!? She could beat up ALL the teachers!" He paused to think for a moment as he ran back under the umbrella. "Ummm, maybe she wouldn't beat up the teachers… she's too cool to ever hurt an innocent person!"

Smiling at his conclusion, Andi and the children came out of the cave and walked along the edge of a cliff. "By the way," he added, "my name's MK. In case your friend didn't tell you." _No, she didn't, but thanks for letting me know. _The three stopped and looked out into the distance. Several miles away stood a large white castle with blue capped towers. The Underground's ceiling was littered with blue glowing gems, and if it wasn't for the fact she knew she was below Earth's surface, she could almost believe she was there. Nothing about the scene, the image, seemed like it was beneath ground and rock.

"That's Asgore's castle?" Andi whispered, almost if fearing that raising her voice would break the illusion.

"Yep," Frisk confirmed. "That's where we're headed." If the castle was there, that meant the barrier wasn't too far off now. _We're halfway there. _They took one last look at their final destination before they continued walking down the path and back into the cave. Andi closed the umbrella and stuck it back in another trash can as MK ran up to a ledge.

"Yo, this ledge is way too steep… hmmm… yo, you wanna see Undyne, right…? Climb on my shoulders."

Frisk looked at him before nodding, and got the small boost needed to get up onto the ledge. She turned around and lowered her hands to help Andi pull herself up. Her height had her almost be able to climb up by herself, and Frisk gave her the extra boost she needed. Once the young woman was standing again, she looked down at the armless monster. "Are you gonna be okay, MK? I can help you up too." She could have lifted him up before climbing herself, and they all could have continued on that way. Or she could reach down and pick him up that way too.

"Don't worry about me. I always find a way to get through!" He turned around and ran back the way they came, falling on his face in the first few steps. "I'm okay!"

Frisk took the lead through the dark tunnel, once MK was out of sight. She paused to read more signs pinned against the wall. "**The humans, afraid of our power, declared war on us. They attacked suddenly, and without mercy**." She paused before the second plaque to press a save point. **The serene sound of a distant music box… it fills you with determination. **"**In the end, it could hardly be called a war. United, the humans were too powerful, and us monsters, too weak. Not a single soul was taken, and countless monsters were turned to dust..**."

_Dust? What does dust have to do with... oh. _Andi gripped Frisk's hand tightly and directed her away from the grim sign and down a wooden walkway high above the ground. Dust. Monsters didn't have organic bodies, so when their soul shattered, they... th-they...

"Mmm..." the entire room was still too dark to see anything, the dim lighting was only enough to see where they were walking. The girls walked down the path, the adult struggling to push the revelation to the back of her head, when a bright blue circle appeared in front of them. More appeared, one or two at a time, trapping them in place. In one swift movement, blue spears shot up through the platform, missing the humans by inches. The terrifying sound of heavy footsteps echoed below them, along with the angry growl of one determined Royal Guard leader.

"Run! RUN!" Andi grabbed Frisk's hand, dragging her as they sprinted away from Undyne. The young woman rushed down the twisting walkway, dodging the onslaught of magic spears shooting up out of the ground. Frisk gripped her hand tightly, her knuckles turning white as she shouted the right direction to run as the path began to divide.

Had it been like before, with the attacks flying overhead, dodging would have been much easier. Duck, step back, jump forward. There, though, they came right out of the floorboards, with only a faint glowing circle to give them warning. That warning... try as she might, she did avoid them, but Undyne must've caught onto them. Predicted her movements, planning her next attack. As the next spear-one single blue magical spear-did not come straight upwards, pointing to the cavern's glimmering ceiling.

No, that one flew upwards at an angle... and right into the human's stomach.

"ANDI!" She could only hear Frisk's shrill scream, her own voice cutting out in a choked gurgle. The arrow pierced her torso, ripping through sweater, muscle, and bones, to erupt from the other side. Gurgling noises came from her mouth, and she collapsed onto the deck in a heap. The onslaught of spears halted, and Frisk barely paid attention to Undyne's rapidly approaching movements, rushing up to meet them on the above walkway. "Andi! Andi, wake up!"

It went dark quickly. A coppery taste filled her mouth, flooding her lungs. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't speak. All she could register was that the pain flared throughout her body, going on and on with no sign of stopping. She felt Frisk's small hands shake her arm roughly, hearing her desperate and tearful pleas fade in and out. "Andi, I... out of...! Just... moment... over soon."

Mind fizzling out. Heart slowing down. Blood all around, dripping between the cracks and falling into the darkness far below whilst staining the sweater around it. A swirl of blue and red over her, quivering violently and ready to come apart and shatter-

**FILE ONE LOADED.**

* * *

**Yeah, this was definitely a long chapter. I could've broken it up, but it seemed right to have all of this together.**

**Until next time!**

**Angel**


	9. Battle of Bones Redux

****Disclaimer: Given that we're into the holidays, the next update might be spaced out again too, but I doubt it. Also, while I left on a cliffhanger, I don't plan on rushing back into that just yet. We are now diving into Frisk's side of things, of what happened during the split between her and Andi at the house. Any thinking is hers.****

****I don't own Undertale.****

"Speaking"

__Thinking__

"****Reading****"

****Saving****

* * *

Frisk walked into the younger skeleton's bedroom, hearing Papyrus' footsteps several feet behind her on the stairs. Nothing new, nothing different, in how everything was laid out. The red race car bed was neatly made, sheets tucked into the plastic frame and devoid of any creases. The box of bones was also organized in size, resting beside her upon entry. Papyrus' action figures were positioned in a battle, two groups on either side of the large table next to the worn pirate flag and towering bookshelf. Should she honestly have expected anything to be, though, in looks and appearances?

__... maybe__, she thought, glancing down at the flaming design that decorated the edges of his with Toriel for so long, that was not normal. At max, it was two or three days. Being there for almost a week was different. New. And it... it scared her.

__Maybe not scared. More... confused? Worried? __She had expected things to go not the way they normally did, when Andi had joined her. She was new, something that had never happened before, in all runs she had taken through the Underground. Her behavior, how she acted during puzzles and battles; it changed things. She knew that, and Sans definitely knew that... and Flowey knew that.

Frisk's expression slipped at the name. The image of the golden flower popped into her head; his fanged smile a mask of his true intentions, and the ring of bullets that always accompanied it, aimed straight for her soul. Flowey knew she was up to something, the moment she and Andi had wandered through the archway, and while Sans had some of the details, even he did not have the full picture. He only knew what she had told him, which wasn't much. That... that was fine. He didn't need to know. __I wish he trusted me more though.__

****The comedian won't be warming up to you so easily, Frisk. You know that, right?****

__I know... __the presence of the first fallen child crept into her head, and she knew Chara was watching her. Lurking over her shoulder, studying her reactions and thoughts. What could you expect, when she was more-or-less... possessing her? Haunting her? It was something like that. Whatever it was, as much as she wanted to speak to her, it was only a matter of time before Papyrus-

"SO, UM... IF YOU'VE SEEN EVERYTHING..." Frisk snapped out of her thoughts, turning around to face Papyrus as he entered the room. The door behind him remained open a crack, no doubt in case Sans or Andi tried to call for them. "DO YOU WANT TO START THE DATE?"

She smiled, easing back into the sense of familiarity. She missed this. "Hehe. Sure, Papyrus." __Here we go again.__

"OKAY! DATING START!" He dashed over to his computer, and hurried to shuffle through several files before selecting one. Cheerful music began to play through his speakers, and the smile widened at his enthusiasm. "HERE WE ARE! ON OUR DATE!" He turned back to face her, his own grin turning sheepish. "I'VE ACTUALLY NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE. BUT DON'T WORRY! YOU CAN'T SPELL 'PREPARED' WITHOUT SEVERAL LETTERS FROM MY NAME!"

Frisk remained silent as the skeleton went on. Sure, she supposed she could say something to speed up the date, but that would be unfair to Andi. If she was with Sans, which... was unusual in itself, she didn't want to interrupt her. __She might be asking him stuff about the Underground. __"I SNAGGED AN OFFICIAL DATING RULEBOOK FROM THE LIBRARY!" He pulled out a pink book, golden cursive writing displaying its title on the front, and flipped to one of the first pages. "HMMM... WELL, I AM PRETTY SURE YOU WANT TO GO ON THIS DATE, SO WE CAN SKIP STEP ONE."

"What's step two?" She asked.

"ASK THE PERSON ON THE DATE!" Papyrus cleared his throat. "HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL GO ON A DATE WITH YOU!" That... was not a question. More of a statement, really, but the idea was still there.

"I accept," Frisk said. The question and answer was formal, and she giggled at the end; a light and happy sound, that Andi once compared to chimes.

"WOWIE! I GUESS THAT MEANS IT'S TIME FOR PART THREE!" He flipped several more pages. "STEP THREE... PUT ON NICE CLOTHES TO SHOW YOU CARE!" Papyrus blinked at the instructions, and brought the book closer to his face. "CLOTHING...?"

A flash of brown and green appeared in the corner of her eye, briefly distracting her from Papyrus' confusion. What was she doing? __Chara?__

****Yes? Am I not allowed to watch?****

__No, you can... __"THAT STRIPED SWEATER... YOU ARE WEARING CLOTHING RIGHT NOW! NOT ONLY THAT, BUT EARLIER... WOW! YOU WANTED THIS DATE FOR A WHILE!"

"Y-yes!" Frisk hurried to answer, trying not to let Chara's conversation throw her off. "I did!"

"WELL! IT WOULD APPEAR THAT I NEED TO STEP UP MY GAME!" Papyrus jumped back across the room, pointing a finger at her with narrowed sockets. "I WILL NOT LET YOUR DATING POWER BEST ME, HUMAN! I CAN EASILY KEEP UP WITH YOU! FOR I, TOO, CAN WEAR CLOTHING!"

She giggled again, the fun of the date finally starting to take over. "Is that so? Then, Great Papyrus, try your best!" She put a hand on her hips, pointing at him as well. The two of them looked ridiculous, yet the child loved it. The silliness of the date, without fear of injuries or death, or harsh weather bearing down on them; it was a break she desperately needed.

"NYEH HEH! GLADLY! I ALWAYS WEAR MY 'SPECIAL' CLOTHES UNDERNEATH MY REGULAR CLOTHES! JUST IN CASE SOMEBODY HAPPENS TO ASK ME ON A DATE! BEHOLD!" Papyrus ran to his closet, throwing the door open and vanishing inside. The sound of rustling hangers and boxes being kicked echoed from underneath the door, and Chara drifted forward to float next to her while he hurried to change his outfit. Her dark green sleeves were crossed over her chest, almost covering her hands with how long they were. Auburn hair drifted lazily in an invisible wind that swept around her brown pant legs, brushing them against dark brown hiking boots. ****I still don't see the point in all of this.****

__Maybe you don't, but I do. __The closet door burst open, and Papyrus proudly walked out. The baggy white shirt with "****Cool Dude****" written across it, complete with basketballs as shoulder pads, blue shorts with yellow trim and buttons, red shoes instead of the usual boots, and a red baseball cap. White socks that were normally hidden behind the boots were in full view, reaching almost up to his knees. It was goofy, yes, but... she missed it. Frisk missed... Papyrus. "AH, THE SILENCE! YOU ARE CLEARLY TAKEN BY MY CHOICE OF CLOTHING!"

Frisk smiled, not verbally giving an agreement and letting him try to decipher her quietness himself. "BUT, YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE POWER OF MY FASHION, HUMAN!" __I don't, do I? __"THEREFORE, YOUR SILENCE IS INVALID! THIS DATE WILL NOT GO ANY FURTHER... UNLESS YOU FIND MY SECRET!"

"The secret of your outfit?" Papyrus' grin, confident that he had bested her, increased at her question. He wanted her to figure it out? Okay! __I got it! __She motioned for him to kneel down, knowing her plan would not work if he didn't lower himself to her level. __There. __Once he got low enough, Frisk dashed towards him, jumping up and throwing herself over his head. Her body, with practiced ease from dozens upon dozens of fights, missed the skeleton entirely except for his hat, which she had plucked off without hitting his skull.

"WOW, YOU WENT IMMEDIATELY FOR MY HAT! AND WITH SUCH CONFIDENCE TOO!" Frisk pulled herself around, sitting on the ground with the cap clutched tightly in her hands. "NOW CHECK THE CONTENTS, FRISK! I AM CERTAIN YOU WON'T BELIEVE YOUR EYES!"

She reached inside, pulling out a yellow present wrapped in a red bow. The paper was decorated in small plates of spaghetti, a small but surprising change from the hangouts she had had with the monster in the past. Pulling at the loop, she unraveled the bow and peeled the paper off as Papyrus anxiously watched. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS?"

"Pasta," she answered. The plate was more of a bowl, letting the sauce rest without fear of spilling while hiding in the packaging. It was coated in pepper, far outweighing the cheese sprinkled on top, and had several cooked vegetables scattered in there as well. The noodles were hard to distinguish under everything, but appeared to be well-cooked. Overall, it looked very good for something Papyrus made.

"TRUE, BUT NOT JUST ANY PASTA, DEAR HUMAN! THIS IS A MASTERPIECE! SILKEN SPAGHETTI, FINELY AGED IN AN OAKEN CASK... THEN COOKED BY ME, MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS! FRISK, THIS DATE WILL NOW BE TESTED! THERE'S NO WAY THIS CAN GO ANY FURTHER!" Unless... she ate it. Unless she ate the pasta.

__Chara? __****Sorry, friend, but I'm not helping you with this one. ****Taking the fork that had fallen out with the dish, she gulped nervously as she began to wind a forkful of noodles. If one thing stayed that was constant throughout the timelines, was that Papyrus' cooking, was... it only ever got better when someone either gifted him cookbooks, or Toriel gave him lessons. Nothing, nothing would progress until she took the bite. For Papyrus' friendship, for the sake of the Underground... she would eat the spaghetti.

She brought the fork to her mouth, inhaled, and shoved the fork into her mouth, ripping it out as fast she could. The taste... oh, it was something else, alright. __Sans, why did you have to lie about the skill again!?__

"WHAT A PASSIONATE EXPRESSION! YOU MUST REALLY LOVE MY COOKING! AND BY EXTENSION, ME! MAYBE EVEN MORE THAN I DO!" She had him. She had him cornered. Now... __attack! __She sat the plate down, the present box already resting on the other side, and rushed Papyrus. "NOOOOO!" Frisk latched her arms around his legs, sending the skeleton tumbling to the ground. His back landed flat on the rug, arms spread out and knees bent where Frisk had hung on. "HUMAN. IT'S CLEAR TO ME NOW. YOUR ACTIONS, YOUR BEHAVIOR, ALL OF IT SHOWED THAT YOU ARE MADLY IN LOVE WITH ME." She grinned up at him, still hugging onto his legs. "FRISK, I WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY, TOO. I SUPPOSE THAT MEANS IT IS TIME THAT I TOLD YOU HOW I FEEL. I, PAPYRUS..." He looked off to the side, avoiding her eyes. "I, UM... OH, BOY."

"You don't feel that way, do you?" She interrupted him, saving the skeleton from the clearly difficult admission he was about to give. Not often did she change things on her own, but it didn't hurt to do it too, right? The explanation, the movement to capture the present? There was nothing wrong with a little change now and again. "I understand. While I did flirt with you, it didn't mean you had to act on it."

"I DIDN'T?" She nodded with a patient smile. Papyrus let the words sink in, and gave a relieved sigh. How he could do that, when he was made of bones, it was a mystery she never figured out. __Suppose I'm like Andi too then. __She did wonder how things worked, but didn't let the basics get to her. Besides, she had figured most of it out by this point. "TH-THANK YOU, HUMAN. I THOUGHT THAT IF YOU FLIRTED WITH ME, I HAD TO TAKE YOU ON A DATE. THEN, ON THE DATE, FEELINGS WOULD BLOSSOM FORTH! I WOULD BE ABLE TO MATCH YOUR PASSION FOR ME!"

"But neither of us like each other like that," Frisk continued. "Which means... we will just have to be friends instead!" Best friends could have been a thing, but she didn't want Undyne and him to argue that out down the road.

"THAT IS A VERY GOOD IDEA! I CAN CERTAINLY CRAFT MY SKILLS TO MATCH A BEST FRIEND LEVEL, IF I TRY HARD ENOUGH!" Papyrus stood up, plucking Frisk off of him and holding her up in the air at arm's length. Her legs dangled several feet off the floor, and the two shared matching grins, matching the happy music Papyrus still had playing in the background. "DO NOT FRET, FRISK. I AM CERTAIN YOU WILL FIND SOMEONE ALMOST AS PERFECT AS I AM. AFTER ALL, I AM VERY GREAT. IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO MATCH MY LEVEL."

"I think I can handle it." She was lowered back to the ground, and she adjusted her sweater.

"OH! IF WE ARE TO BE BEST FRIENDS, THEN IT IS ONLY FAIR THAT I GIFT YOU WITH MY PHONE NUMBER." He pulled out his cell, and stared at her expectantly. __What is he-oh, wait.__

"Andi has it right now. Bu-but I can remember what the numbers are! And if you tell me, I can put it into the contacts later." Best friends. Guess that even if she said it or not, he'd think that anyway. __Oh, well.__

"BRILLIANT IDEA, FRISK!" He patted the top of her head, and when the glove was retracted, strands of brown hair was lifted up with it. __Static cling. __She giggled at the action, watching Papyrus swat the strands off his hand.

"heh. nice to see you two havin' fun."

Frisk froze at the baritone voice, and turned to the bedroom door, now fully open to the rest of the house. Sans leaned against the frame, looking between the two of them with a pleased smile. "just thought you ought to know that you and your pal are stayin' the night here with us."

__I am? __"THEY ARE?" Frisk blinked, mouth hanging partially open at the sudden decision. Since when did-since when did Sans ever let her spend the night at his house? It was the inn. It was always the inn! "SANS, THAT IS A GREAT IDEA!"

"andi said sleep was hard to come by, and since it seemed that we were all havin' such a great time, why not keep it goin' with them crashing here?" He continued, oblivious to the panic he had sent the human child through. __Here? Sleep here? What? Why? Why!?__

"IF THAT IS THE PLAN, THEN THERE IS NO TIME TO WASTE! I MUST GO AND PREPARE SUPPER! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!" __Wait, wh-!? Papyrus, no! Don't leave me! __"BROTHER, YOU CAN WATCH THE NOODLES ONCE THEY ARE BOILING SO I CAN CHANGE AGAIN." __Papyrus, wait!__

Papyrus sprinted past, bounding down the stairs with energy Frisk now lacked. Her feet were frozen in place, staring at the door as her body was swept in a cold sheet. Sans, while having moved to let his brother past, still stood in the entryway. The grin, once cheerful, sent a shiver down her spine, and Sans held a hand up. "hey, c'mon, kid. you really are breakin' my heart here."

Frisk winced at the word phrasing. He did that on purpose. "Wh-why... why are...?"

"your friend really cares 'bout you." He stuffed his hands into his pockets, throwing a look over his shoulder back in the direction of his door. Was it open? C-could Andi hear everything he was saying? "been through a lot, you know? 'course, not as much as you..." Sans gave a wink, keeping his left eye trained on her. "still." He opened his other eye, and to her relief, the grin turned less grim. "i'm glad you went about that fight with my brother like you did. th... thanks, kid."

Frisk almost melted with the skeleton's words, a weight bearing down on her shoulders slowly chipping away. He still didn't entirely trust her, she knew that. But at that point, after making it past Papyrus, she had earned herself points in Sans' book. ****Happy now?****

__Very. __"the door closest to mine has blankets you two can borrow, upper cabinet over the washing machine. i'll go ahead and bring some pillows down to the couch. washroom's right next door to it." With a casual wave of his hand, Sans left the entryway, wandering off in the direction of said room. Frisk stayed there, not progressing after him, letting his words finish sinking in.

"Heh... hehe..." her legs slowly slid out from under her, and she slumped to the floor. "Oh..."

****Well, well. That went perfectly, didn't it? ****Chara hovered next to her, a smile that lit up her dark red eyes. ****Are you sure you want us to stay here? ****Even with her relief that the skeleton didn't give her any more trouble, the older child could see the problem Frisk was still in. ****There's no point in lying to me, Frisk. I know you want out.****

"I don't think Sans will let me leave." Not Andi. Her. He was more concerned about her. Frisk ran her hands through her short hair, wincing at the tugging of small knots that had formed over her time in the Underground. "Chara, do... do you think I'm doing the right thing?"

****Serious? I think this whole mission of yours is a waste of time. ****Chara gave her own sigh, floating down to let her own feet rest on the rug. Her arms were pulled tighter against her, fingers digging into the sweater and the skin underneath. ****... it's still better than those past timelines.****

Frisk pulled her head up to see Chara's own downcast look, still holding herself together far better than she ever could. "Yeah..." because no matter what happened next, anything-and she meant anything-was better than those. "I just hope everything stays on track." She pulled herself back up, legs still trembling slightly. "Keep going as we always did."

****And if your human friend finds out what you did? What the truth of this world really is? ****Her hands gripped at the sides of her sweater, the dreaded questions lurking in the back of her mind rushing forth at Chara's inquiry.

"She... I'll figure that out." The truth of how the Underground worked, no doubt Andi would figure it out on her own. Through conversations, either with Sans or herself, she'd piece stuff together. What she herself had done? If Frisk could help it... she would not let her get the full picture. Snippets, perhaps; but the exact image?

That was something that was better off left in the past.

* * *

****Definitely a shorter chapter than normal, but I wanted to have a more cheerful chapter before diving back into Andi and Frisk in Waterfall.****

****Happy holidays, and a happy new year!****

****Angel****


	10. Regroup and Try Again

**Disclaimer: We're jumping back to the present, where we last left off in chapter 8, and any thinking is once again Andi's.**

**serioushugsies: There's a lot to the answer to that question: why Frisk needed Andi in the Underground. It won't be completely answered until the end, so have fun figuring it out along the way. Thanks for the review!**

**I don't own Undertale.**

"Speaking"

_Thinking_

"**Reading**"

**Saving**

* * *

_Wh... what... what happened? Where am I? _"I-is she breathing?" _F... F__risk?_

"... yep. give her a few more seconds, kid." Silence, a shuffling sound of movement. "... what happened?" _Sans? __What's... what's he doing here?_

"Undyne, she... Sans, the attack wasn't-i-it wasn't-!"

"normal," he cut in. "had a feelin' something like this would happen." _What do you mean... happen? _Her thoughts were all over the place, but it was definitely an improvement from nothing. Slowly, her brain finished rewiring itself, and Andi felt her throat clear up, having almost sealed up from a lack of airflow; her lips sealed shut with a lack of muscle movement.

"... eugh." The voices stopped, and her eyes fluttered open. From out of the dark, the images of Frisk and Sans' heads hanging over her came into view, watching her return to reality. "What... happened? Where... where am I?"

The two exchanged a quick look before returning to meet her confused face. Frisk's mouth tightened, tanned skin paling and not showing signs of replying to the question at the moment. Sans, however, was more open to the inquiry. "what do you remember?"

She tried to pull herself up into a seated position, and found her body aching. Specifically, her core area. "Ow." Sans and Frisk helped her up, leaning her against the wall by the telescope. H-how did they get back there? _Remember, huh__? _What did she remember? There... they learned about the monster tale, after moving past Sans, united with MK and saw Asgore's castle, and... a-and... "U-Undyne." The name was a whisper, and all blood drained from her face, matching Frisk's. Undyne had... th-the spear... she died.

She had died.

"looks like her memories carried over." Sans knelt down, resting on his knees. She was shaking, looking at her lap as the concept repeated in her head, over, and over again. She died. _I died. I-Frisk. _Frisk had witnessed the entire thing, watching the magical spear rip through her body. "easy, andi. it's okay. the kid's just fine." Her head snapped upwards to face him. "she loaded her save file before your soul shattered. kept callin' papyrus' phone until he picked up, and had me go and get you two. brought you both back here since, well, it'd be a whole lot safer than being that out in the open."

"L-loaded... save file?" Frisk nodded, shuffling her feet. Tear tracks were quite visible on her cheeks, eyes red from crying.

"Th-there was... i-it went right..." she had trouble explaining, words tripping over each other and slightly slurring together. If what Andi could recall was true, what Frisk had seen was... terrifying. Fresh tears crept to the corners of her eyes, and she sniffed. "I-I'm sorry. I n-never thought that that would h-happen."

"Hey, hey, Frisk." Struggling to lean forward, Andi rested a hand on the child's shoulder. "It's okay. You didn't..." could she really say that she had no idea it would happen? Frisk knew the attack would occur. She just didn't know about the direction of the spears. "... how were you supposed to know that the spear would come up differently?" Andi let go, and brought her hand to her stomach. There was no open wound, no blood. N-nothing. Everything ached, but other than that, she felt fine. And that... that was what ultimately scared her.

"hmm... hey, kid. how 'bout you go on ahead? i'll bring her along when she's feelin' up to it." _Huh? _Frisk looked at him in surprise, but paused at her guardian's worried but equally confused expression. Andi didn't want to get up and go. Not yet. Everything was-she needed a moment to rest.

"... o-okay." Frisk held out her arms, and Andi inched forward to slide the bag off her back, handing it over.

"You think you can carry that?" Frisk detached the hiking pole, sliding the harness around her small wrist.

"I got it." She turned to the left wing, heading off, but did take one last look back. Hesitation. It did not surprise her in the slightest. _It's Snowdin all over again. _Again, but much, much worse. Knowledge of loading was one thing, but experiencing it...

"I'll be fine, Frisk. You go on ahead." She waited a few more seconds, letting it digest, and finally headed off down through the cave once again. Andi sighed, slumping against the wall again. "I thought I was doing a good job dodging those spears."

"how do you feel?" Sans asked. _How do you think I look, Sans?_

"I... physically, a little sore. Mentally, emotionally... I'm scared." _I'm scarred. _She crossed her arms, hugging herself. "Sans, e-even though there's no wound, I-I can still imagine the spear ripping through me. I c-can still hear Frisk's screams," she stressed. Screams that tore at your throat, making it raw with pain. It was a sound she had never heard before, from the young girl. Emotion that broke through a dam that had already suffered cracks during their journey under the Surface.

"whenever the kid has to load, it's usually not for a good reason." The silence after that was welcoming, drifting into the cavern after Sans' observation, and Andi let herself think it over, thankful that he did not go into any further detail on what had brought her back to that moment in time where Frisk had loaded. Rewound time, and brought them back seconds before disaster. Frisk had saved right before Undyne had appeared, and had Papyrus reach Sans to get them further away. To help the child calm her down when she woke up.

She brought her there, because she knew she wouldn't be able to console her when the reality sank in. "S-Sans? The... knowledge of stuff like this, loads and resets... does it get better?" The skeleton didn't answer, but it was all she needed to know. Once was more than enough. But if what she could gain from their conversations, and how Frisk acted, dozens of loads and resets would scar anyone. "You and Frisk... you've been down here a lot, huh?"

"... what have you figured out?" The concern had all but dropped from Sans, and he zoomed in on her with emptied sockets. Andi flinched, the sudden seriousness taking her aback, but narrowed her eyes in return. _So we are going that route, huh? _

"You can't scare me, Sans." She wouldn't be scared. If she was, then so much of her progress in the Underground would never be obtained. She would be stuck in one place, never moving forward. "Everything I've seen down here, from monsters seeming to know Frisk or at the very least recall her name, to her knowledge of how to handle specific fights and even knowing their names. How she wanted to leave the Ruins because it wasn't right to stay there, and how she knew about your powers before you even showed them off. H-how... I have no memory of coming here, when I could recall everything from before the load, a-and how you mentioned p-previous timelines." Her voice was shaky, and it could have been the nerves from earlier, but she was on a roll now. She had someone who knew answers, and she was getting them, no matter what. "Frisk has been through the Underground more than once, hasn't she? Without me."

"... hehe." He chuckled, a hollow sound. "you really don't wanna know about the resets, andi." The darkened sockets still studied her, and she shifted uncomfortably. It was a sharp change from his usual easygoing behavior. From jokes and fun, to veiled threats.

"Maybe I do," she replied, her own tone even. "Sans, like it or not, I don't like being ignorant of what's going on. Before Frisk and I escape the Underground, I want to know the truth, and I don't care if you or Frisk think it's better to leave me in the dark." Snippy, most definitely, but Andi knew she had to stand up for herself to get her point across.

"so, you really want to know, huh...?" Sans sighed, and stood back up, swatting at the dirt that stuck to his leg bones. "oh, boy. okay. but if you really wanna go through with this, you'll have to wait until i say so. when we're all gathered together again, and not out in the open."

"... you promise?" Sans' eye lights returned, and she let herself relax.

"have i broken our other one yet?" No... he didn't. "then you can trust me." He held out his hand, and she reached for it, letting herself get brought back up on her feet. Legs weren't ready though, and she stumbled forward before Sans caught her. "give me your arm."

"Oh. Here." Swinging it over his shoulder, he grabbed her wrist to keep it in place. "We're-I'm not going to have to go through Undyne's chase again, am I?"

"not if we can help it. we'll jump ahead and catch up with her. kid should move faster the second time around." Adjusting his grip, he gave a wink. "hold on."

Teleporting. She'd never get used to it. Vanishing from the hallway, she felt her feet touch down in an area she knew very well. Another wooden walkway, high, high above a black abyss, but this one had guardrails on it. "now, where are they?" She rested her free hand on the railing to steady herself, looking around the darkened room for a sign of the other human.

"Hmmm... there." She pointed to the left, and they saw Frisk and Undyne, facing each other down on a walkway off in the distance. For Frisk, though, there was no more walkway behind her. The entire section dropped off. The hiking pole was gripped tightly in her hands, held out in defence in case the knight attacked. "She's not doing anything."

"see, there's nothin' to worry about. looks like they're talkin' it o-" spears rained down from above, all in a row, and the boards between Frisk and Undyne were shattered to splinters. The section Frisk was standing on collapsed, and the child gave a startled shriek as she plummeted into the darkness below. "... oh."

"Sans, for my sake, please tell me she's alright," she said, an edge in her voice. If she was right in that Frisk had gone through the Underground before, th-then the falling was supposed to happen, right? _Right!? _"Sans."

Sans didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed hold of her hand and warpped them away before Undyne could spot them, landing in ankle-deep in water. In a bed of yellow flowers, somehow growing around the fallen boards and water, lay the fallen child. "Frisk!" Andi hobbled forward, dragging Sans along to keep her steady. Once she got close enough, she let her arm fall free, falling down beside her. "Hey, wake up!" She shook Frisk, earning a soft groan. "Frisk!"

"Mmm..." Frisk's eyes fluttered, and she smiled tiredly up at her. a small purple mark was on her forehead, the only visible sign of an injury from the drop. "Heh... beat me to it."

"had a nice trip, kid?" Frisk groaned at the pun, sitting up and letting the bag slide off her. The hiking pole lay at the edge of the flowerbed, halfway in the cool water. "how was the attack this time?"

"There were some that went up at an angle," she replied. Andi backed up, letting the younger girl stand. She handed the bag over to the adult, and went to grab the pole. "But I was ready this time."

"..." Andi wanted to go more into that conversation. Albeit muffled, when she was coming back to reality, she could've sworn Sans said something about Undyne's attack not being... normal. All of it kept tying back to the inescapable fact Frisk had been there before. Was her mere presence in the Underground affecting things? Different attacks, and different interactions with monsters? _The long stay with Toriel, and crashing at Sans and Papyrus' house... those weren't normal, were they?_

"good." Sans patted her shoulder, snapping her out of her thoughts. "i better get goin'. you two should be fine from here." He turned around, stepping back into the water and walked off. _What? You're just going to leave, just like that?_

"Sans!" He stopped, but didn't turn around to face her. What else was she supposed to say? True, there wasn't much more to add to the matter, but having him leave without another word did not seem right. "I, uh... thanks for... that."

"heh... no problem, andi." She blinked, and he was gone, the water rippling where he previously stood. Frisk still held the pole, and Andi hadn't put the bag on. The two stood there, time passing, before Frisk walked past and jumped into the water herself.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," she said quietly.

"You and me both, kid." She threw the bag back on. "Now, let's get out of this dump and out of Waterfall before Undyne catches on we're still kicking." Wading through piles of garbage and slow waterfalls, Andi's mood picked up at the star on a broken piece of wood, floating between two garbage heaps. "I got this one."

**The reuniting with your best friend among the fallen trash of the surface... fills you with determination and patience.**

"... well, it's not wrong." Frisk giggled at the choice of words, and they continued through the cavern. Twisted bicycles, broken computers, rotting food were just samples of what they passed. Frisk took a pause to grab two packets of dehydrated food from a cooler, and stuck them into her own pockets. "Once we find a place to dry, we'll get something to eat." Either the food she packed for the hiking trip, or the food Toriel gave them. Either way, the last time she had anything was back in Snowdin, and without a watch, she had no way of keeping track of how long they'd been walking.

Frisk glanced at the training dummy standing in the water before continuing towards the exit, a ramp leading into a new cavern. _Finally. _They were almost out when the sound of water being splashed, and turned around. The dummy... was missing. _What?_ The girls spun around at the sound of mocking laughter, and found it floating in the air in front of them, blocking the path.

"Ha ha ha… too intimidated to fight me, huh!? I am a ghost that lives inside a dummy. My cousin used to live inside a dummy, too. Until… YOU TWO CAME ALONG! When you talked to them, they thought they were in for a nice chat… but the things you SAID…! Horrible. Shocking! UNBELIEVABLE! It spooked them right out of their dummy! HUMANS! I'll scare your souls out of your bodies!" Andi watched as her light blue and red soul drifted out in front of her, floating next to Frisk's completely red one. _Horrible things? All I did was say a pun! _Unless the ghost was hanging around Papyrus, then the anger didn't make any sense.

"Futile. Futile! FUTILE!" The mad dummy shouted. They summoned several small dummies, miniature versions of themselves, and had them start launching attacks at them. The girls ran about, and unlike previous attacks from monsters, the balls of yarn were seeking them out, chasing after them. Ducking, Andi watched them fly overhead, narrowly missing her and running into the dummy instead.

"Owwww, you DUMMIES! Watch where you're aiming your magic attacks!" Their eyes widened at the slip-up. "Hey! You two! Forget I said anything about magic! I'll defeat you and take your souls! I'll use your souls to cross the barrier! I'll stand in the window of a fancy store! THEN EVERYTHING I WANT WILL BE MINE!"

The dummy seemed focused on their dream goal, and less on the actual fight. _Okay, so they're a lot like Papyrus. Just get them to keep talking while dodging, and they should tire out eventually. _"But is that really what your cousin would've wanted?" Frisk asked, sidestepping another round of attacks and having them collide with the ghost.

"Huh? Yeah, I guess that'll avenge my cousin. What was their name again…?" The dummy wondered before shaking themselves out of their thoughts. "Whatever. Whatever! WHATEVER! Foolish. Foolish! FOOLISH! Pitiful. Pitiful! PITIFUL!" _And so is this fight. _They weren't making much progress, other than making them more angry.

"Hey, guys!" The dummy yelled at its helpers, drawing their attention. "Dummies. Dummies! DUMMIES! Remember how I said NOT to shoot at me? Well… FAILURES! YOU'RE FIRED! YOU'RE ALL BEING REPLACED!" The little dummies disappeared, and the larger one started to laugh. "Now you'll see my true power: relying on people that aren't garbage! DUMMY BOTS! MAGIC MISSILE!"

_Did it just say missile!? _Andi threw herself at the water, avoiding the heat-seeking rockets launched by the newly created robotic dummies. Her sweater clung to her skin, and she shivered violently from the cold. Frisk served and ducked with a grace the older human lacked, succeeding in directing the rockets right back at the dummy.

"N… no way! These guys are even WORSE than the other guys! Who cares Who cares! WHO CARES! I don't need friends!" A knife appeared next to them, hovering in the air in a light grey glow. "I'VE GOT KNIVES!" The dummy threw the weapon, only for it to sail right past the girls, hitting the computer with a loud clang and sinking into the water. "I'm… out of knives. BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER! YOU CAN'T HURT ME AND I CAN'T HURT YOU! YOU'LL BE STUCK FIGHTING ME… forever. Forever! FOREVER!"

The dummy laughed at Andi and Frisk, only to stop as teardrop-like attacks fell from above. They flinched, giving a hiss from the pain. "Wh… what the heck is this!? Ergh! Acid rain!? Oh, FORGET IT! I'm outta here!"

The dummy disappeared back into the water, leaving the two tired humans alone. _Finally. _Andi wiped the water from her face, hair plastered to her skin, and she looked up at their rescuer. "You?"

The ghost from the Ruins. Dapper... no, that wasn't it. That involved the hat. _Something must have been before the Blook, right? _"… sorry, I interrupted you two, didn't I? As soon as I came over, your friend immediately left… oh no… you guys looked like you were having fun…"

"Oh no, Blooky!" Frisk protested, waving her hands. "That dummy was attacking us. You're presence was just enough to scare them away."

The newly named Blooky nodded. "I just wanted to say hi… oh no… well… I'm going to head home now… oh… umm… feel free to 'come with' if you want… but no pressure… I understand if you're busy… it's fine… no worries… just thought I'd offer..."

"We'd like that very much, actually," Andi said. "We need somewhere to dry off for a bit."

"Okay..." Blooky gave them a small smile before leading the girls up to a clearing with multiple side paths. "Hey… my house is up here… I'll be waiting for you two." They drifted down the middle path, leaving Andi and Frisk alone again.

"Are we going?" Andi asked, when Frisk stopped behind her.

"Wait." Frisk pressed the save point in the middle of the clearing before smiling at Frisk. **You feel a calming tranquility. You're filled with determination... **"now I'm ready."

Frisk nodded and took the lead in walking down the middle road. Two houses stood at the end, each leaning in an opposite direction. The right one was pink with the light on, the other was blue, and pitch black on the inside. The young child walked up to the blue house and opened the door, letting them in.

"Oh… you really came..." Blooky said, looking surprised and slightly happy. The ghost now sported a set of black headphones on their head. "Sorry, I… wasn't expecting that. It's not much, but make yourselves at home." It wasn't much of a house. The walls were cracked, and the floorboards had pieces missing. _Then again, if you're a ghost, how much does decorating really matter to you? Can you pick things up without help?_

Andi walked over to the three CD players on the floor, resting next to a large cobweb in the corner. "**Spooktunes**," She read, confused. _Is that a type of music? _Shrugging, she knelt down and pressed play. A tune filled the small house, reminding the young adult of an old video game.

"Oh… a classic spook-tune..." Blooky said wistfully. "They don't make songs like this anymore..."

"No, they don't." Then again, she never heard anything like it before. "It's impressive though, that you're making your own music."

They smiled slightly at the compliment, and noticed Frisk had wandered over to the fridge. "Oh… are you hungry? I can get you something to eat..." Blooky floated over to the fridge and took something out. "This is a ghost sandwich… do you want to try it?"

"Sure." Frisk took the semitransparent sandwich, only for it to phase through her hands and fall on the floor. "Oops."

"Oh… never mind." Blooky gave an amused smile. "After a great meal, I like to lie on the ground and feel like garbage… it's a family tradition… do you two want to join me?"

Andi looked at Frisk, and got a nod in confirmation. "O-okay." If Frisk seemed for it, then there must be a good reason.

Blooky floated into the middle of the room as Andi dropped her bag off by the television, and the three laid down on the floor. "Here we go… you'll lie down as you don't move. So… only move around when you want to get up, I guess." Andi stared up at the ceiling curiously. _Why exactly does Frisk want to do this? All we're doing is lying here on the floor and… _

Her mouth dropped as the room slowly faded into a black sky. Golden space dust drifted by them, lighting up the empty cosmos. Andi felt herself bob up and down in the lack of gravity, her sweater floating upwards at the bottom and sleeves, and hair drift up above her head. She grinned, and found herself closing her eyes, enjoying the strange and wonderful moment of peace. Was it in their minds, or was the ghost doing something to make them see this? _In the end, it's magic. A lot of what we've seen involved magic, and at this point, what's the use in trying to comprehend it?_

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Frisk slowly get back up, and followed her example. The world shifted back to normal, and she blinked to clear her vision. "Well, that was nice..." Blooky said, getting up as well. "Thank you..."

"Don't mention it," Andi said, putting the bag back on. "But as much as this visit was fun, we need to get going."

"Oh... sure... thank you for visiting," they said, as the two headed to the door.

"Bye, Blooky!" Frisk said as they went back to the main clearing and down the right side path. The girls only walked a few meters before Frisk stopped in front of a hole in the wall. It was dark enough that they couldn't easily see the inside, but the sound of flickering flames could be heard from within. "Can we stop for a second, Andi?"

She glanced from the entrance to the younger girl. They were already making several stops, but this seemed hidden enough that Undyne wouldn't spout them. "Okay, then."

"Whoa, there!" An elderly turtle monster shouted upon entering. The room was only big enough for the three of them, and the small array of random objects scattered on the blanket in front of him. A small fire burned brightly behind him, casting shadows around the room. "I've got some neat junk for sale."

"Hmmm." Andi examined the items, before returning her gaze to the turtle. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to buy off the stuff we're carrying, would you?" Not that she didn't appreciate Toriel's offering, but that, the pie, and the gear she already had was starting to get too heavy.

"Ha! I'm tryin' to get RID of my junk, not get more of it!" He joked. "Though, I've heard if you want to sell stuff, the Temmie Village is your best bet."

"Temmie Village?" She asked. "Where's that?"

"Where is it?" He closed his eyes, before giving them shrug. "… I don't remember."

_Well, that didn't help. _What else could she talk about? The monster appeared to be older than most she'd seen, so maybe he could offer some hints to the history of the Underground. "Um, sir? If you don't mind me asking," Andi began, "but could you tell me a bit about the Underground? The library in Snowdin didn't seem all that reliable."

"No 'sir' here, dear. You and your sister there can call me Gerson." He gave the young woman a friendly smile. "I'm probably your best bet if you wanted to know anything about the Underground's history. Guess that's what happens when you've lived through so much of it yourself! Wa ha ha!"

Andi chuckled as she and Frisk sat down on the rug. Looking down, she noticed the rug had the same emblem that was on Toriel's robe and on the exit of the Ruins. _But what is it? Why is it showing up everywhere? _"Gerson, what's that emblem?"

"Eh? You don't know what that is? What are they teaching you kids in school nowadays…?" Gerson wondered before laughing. "That's the Delta Rune, the emblem of our kingdom. The Kingdom… of Monsters. Great name, huh? It's as I always say… ol' King Fluffybuns can't name for beans!"

_Fluffybuns? _Andi thought. She gave a muffled laugh, which sounded like a loud snort to the other two. "Nice to see you find that name amusing, kid," Gerson smiled. "Bet you're wondering why I call Dreemurr 'Fluffybuns'?"

"Yes, actually." Frisk spoke up. "How did Asgore get that nickname?"

"Oh, that's a great story! … I don't remember it." The girls laughed as he gave an apologetic grin. "But if you two come back much later, I'm sure I'll have remembered by then."

"Ha ha ha! Alright, Gerson." Andi leaned forward, enjoying the elder's company. Come by later, huh? She'd have to remember that too. "What about the emblem? There's got to be more it than just that."

"That emblem actually predates written history. The original meaning has been lost to time… all we know is that the triangles symbolize us monsters below, and the winged circle above symbolizes… somethin' else. Most people say it's the 'angel', from the prophecy..."

"Prophecy?" Andi wondered. That was a new one. She never heard of any prophecy before.

"Oh yeah… the prophecy. Legend has it, an 'angel' who has seen the surface will descend from above and bring us freedom." Free them... how could that possibly happen? Destroy the barrier? _Is such a thing even possible? _"Lately, the people have been taking a bleaker outlook… callin' that circle the 'Angel of Death'. A harbinger of destruction, waitin' to 'free' us from this mortal realm." That took a dark turn, one she was not expecting. _Yikes._ "In my opinion, when I see that little circle… I jus' think it looks neat! Wa ha ha!"

Frisk looked over at Andi's slightly disturbed face, and decided to change the subject. "W-what about Undyne?"

"Undyne? Yeah, she's a local hero around here. Through grit and determination alone, she fought her way to the top of the Royal Guard. Actually, she just came through here asking about some people who looked just like you two..."

"What!?" Andi squeaked. She had already been past there!?

"I'd watch your back, kids. And buy some items… it might just save your hide! Wa ha ha!"

"O-oh! Um… thanks, Gerson..." Andi quickly stood up, and brought Frisk up with her. "We-we best be going."

"Be careful out there, kids!" Gerson shouted as they left the room and continued down the path. They barely traveled down the corridor before Frisk found more plaques detailing the war. "**Hurt, beaten, and fearful for our lives, we surrendered to the humans. Seven of their greatest magicians sealed us underground with a magic spell. Anything can enter through the seal, but only beings with a powerful soul can leave**." She walked over to the next sign. "**There is only one way to reverse this spell. If a huge power, equivalent to seven human souls, attacks the barrier… it will be destroyed**."

"That's the only way?" Andi asked. Seven magicians... seven souls. That's why Asgore was determined for that specific number. It didn't even matter that it was children that fell down. It just had to be a human.

"... yeah," Frisk answered her. "It... it's the only way to destroy it."

Andi frowned, and read the final plaque. "**But this cursed place has no entrances or exits. There is no way a human could come here. We will remain trapped down here forever.**" _Forever. Toriel, Sans, Papyrus... everyone will remain down here for the rest of their lives._

The girls stared at the wall, the message engraved in their minds, before eventually moving on. The rock path led them into a dark marsh, with the only light coming from the long glowing branches, mushrooms, and patches of grass that decorated the trail. Andi took the lead in walking, only to come across an odd monster in the middle of the path. It resembled a kitten, but had dog ears as well as cat ears, black hair, and a blue sweater.

"That's Temmie," Frisk said as she looked around Andi. "They're pretty harmless." She cleared her throat, and gave a small wave. "Hi! I'm Frisk!"

"hOI! i'm tEMMIE!" The Temmie summoned a Temmie-like creature with long legs, making the girls duck around them.

"Ha ha!" Frisk laughed as the strange attack vanished, and began flexing her arms. _But this is Temmie. Not Aaron, Frisk. _What was she planning this time?

"No! Muscles r… NOT CUTE!" Temmie shouted.

"Temmie, are you okay?" The muscle horse, Aaron came up to them in the marshes water.

"NO!" It yelled, before passing out, face smacking into the soggy earth.

"Uh, hi…?" Andi waved. "We, uh... d-didn't mean to make them... pass out." _I feel guilty now._

Frisk stepped towards the monster, smiling apologetically. "Can we go through? We don't want to cause any trouble."

Aaron chuckled. "Sure. I wasn't looking for a fight. Here, this ought to make up for Temmie." 60G was placed at their feet. With a wink, he dove back into the water, leaving the humans along with the unconscious Temmie.

"That was certainly... interesting," Andi said. "So… if the Temmie showed up here, does that mean the village is nearby too?"

"Yeah, it is. This way." Frisk walked off the glowing path, and down the opposite way when it went upwards. They walked into a bright cave with several Temmies.

"**hOI! Welcome to… TEM VILLAGE**!" Frisk read from the wooden post next to them. She giggled at the odd spelling, and walked over to the four Tems lined in a row.

"hOI! i'm temmie! and dis is my friend… temmie!"

"hOI! i'm temmie! and dis is my friend… temmie!"

"hOI! i'm temmie! don't forget my friend!"

"Hi. I'm Bob." Andi cracked a grin at the simple name accompanying the proper English, and looked at the two signs in front of the store Gerson mentioned. "**hOI! u shud check out… TEM SHOP**!"

"**yaYA! i AGREES! shud check… TEM SHOP**!" Laughing at the childish spelling, she found Frisk standing next to her after talking to the other Tems. She slid the bag off her back, looking at the contents. The frozen treat was missing, and Andi could only assume Frisk had eaten it... oh. _Frisk reloaded. Which means... we never bought the treat to begin with._

She threw the bag back on, and followed Frisk into the entrance to the shop. "hOI! welcom to… da TEM SHOP!" A Temmie in a blue and yellow striped shirt with grey hair said behind a cardboard box. Lanterns were scattered about, making the room much brighter than Gerson's shop.

"Don't bother trying to make conversation with it," Frisk whispered. "Temmies aren't much for conversation."

"Noted," Andi whispered back. The young woman glanced over the item list, only seeing a food called Tem Flakes over and over again at different prices. "Um… it looks like nothing here's of use to us, Frisk. You wanna head out? We can put some of the gear in one of the boxes, if that would make a difference."

"Good idea. Bye, Temmie." The young girl waved at the Tem, taking the lead in moving towards the exit.

"bOI!" It yelled, still smiling as they headed out.

Once Frisk and Andi stepped out into the open, they approached the save spot next to the box. Grinning, Frisk pressed it, giggling at the message that flashed through their heads. **You feel… something. You're filled with... detemmienation.**

"Ha ha!" Andi smiled at the spelling, the voice in her head hesitating at the choice in wording, and took the book bag off once again. Taking out the blanket and pie, she stored them in the box, making sure they were kept close to the side to store more in down the road. "That should lighten the load. We can enjoy the pie later, and since we're not in Snowdin, I doubt we'll need the blanket."

Andi and Frisk left Temmie Village, and wandered through the darkened marsh, trying to find the path again. Frisk took the lead, searching in front of them for a clear walkway that didn't drop them into water. "Found it." Once they passed into the new section, she stopped to read the sign by the road. "**Without candles or magic to guide them Home, the monsters used crystals to navigate**."

Andi looked around them, seeing the glowing purple crystals along the paths. The route was laid out similar to the previous area, leading her and Frisk to the other side with little problem. Taking the young woman's hand, Frisk led them down a jet black hallway, the girls barely seeing in front of their faces. The only thing she did know, was that they were back in water, feeling it creep over her boots.

"This is really unnerving, Frisk." Andi tried to search for any strong source of light, but found nothing. Not even the rocks in the ceiling, which were barely sticking out enough from where they were embedded. "Where are we?"

"In the dark, in a cave." She stated. _Thank you, Captain Obvious._ They stopped once they reached the end of the hallway, rising back out onto dry land, and found a single echo flower.

"Behind you."

Slowly, the two turned around, and from in the shadows, stood an extremely angry Undyne. "Seven," she said, voice muffled by her helmet. "Seven human souls. With the power of seven human souls, our king… King Asgore Dreemurr… will become a god. With that power, Asgore can finally shatter the barrier. He will finally take the surface back from humanity… and give them back the suffering and pain that we have endured."

"Understand, humans? This is your only chance at redemption. Give up your souls… or I'll tear them from your bodies." Undyne quickly got into a battle stance, and a spear appearing in her hands, directed right at Frisk's chest. Andi immediately pulled the small child behind her, glaring at the knight. A cold chill swept over her, a sense of familiarity of where the pointed end was now aimed at. Undyne chuckled darkly at her pitiful attempt to shield Frisk, and charged, feet hitting the ground with loud clanging thumps and kicking up sprays of rock and dirt. Frisk buried her face in Andi's sweater, the two bracing for the im-

"Undyne!" Frisk looked up when MK popped out of the grass, standing directly in between them and the spear. "I'll help you fight!" He paused, looking from her to Frisk and Andi. The humans were pale, looking nervously from the guard commander to him. "Yo! You two did it! Undyne is RIGHT in front of you! You've got front row seats to her fight! … wait. Who's she fighting?"

Undyne huffed, vanishing her spear and grabbed MK's cheek. "H-hey!" He shouted as she pulled him back the way the girls came, his feet dragging along the ground. "You aren't gonna tell my parents about this, are you?"

Frisk let out a loud exhale, sagging into the young woman's light blue top. "That was close, huh?"

"No, duh. Undyne is gonna catch up to us again soon, and it'd be best if we're far, far away from here when she does." MK, while not aware of it, had bought them time, and she was going to use it to her absolute advantage.

"The path is this way." Frisk and Andi hopped back into the ankle deep water and walked to the middle of the pond, seeing the glowing grass lighting up the other trail. "Let's move."

The ground gave out into a new pond, filled with echo flowers. "… hmmm… if I say my wish… you promise you won't laugh at me?"

"That's the conversation from before," Andi realized. "Guess that means we're on the right track." _How did they get all the way to here? Is there another way around that we missed?_

"Of course I won't laugh!" The next flower replied.

"Someday, I'd like to climb this mountain we're all buried under. Standing under the sky, looking at the world all around… that's my wish." That... that one hit home. That was exactly what she and Frisk had done, right before Frisk had spotted the cave, with the unconventional entrance to the Underground. Soaking in the sun, feeling the autumn air blow past.

_What I wouldn't give to see that again. _Small, golden lights lit up the air around them like fireflies. Frisk giggled as she tried to cup one in her hands, only for it to vanish in her grasp. The following flower laughed in the background before speaking. "… hey, you said you wouldn't laugh at it!"

"Sorry, it's just funny," the final plant said. "That's my wish, too."

She smiled at the ending, brushing her fingers along the soft luminescent petals, and stopped to read the last sign detailing the war. "**However… there is a prophecy. The Angel… The One Who Has Seen The Surface… they will return. And the Underground will go empty**."

Andi patted the wall, giving the plaque one last glance before running to catch up with Frisk, who hadn't stopped walking after chasing the golden spots. She stopped short when she noticed the child was talking to MK at the end of a wooden walkway, far above a drop with rock spires jutting out below. "Yo, I know I'm not supposed to be here, but… I wanna ask you something. Man, I've never had to ask anyone this before… umm… yo… you and your friend are humans, right?"

"Y-yeah?" Frisk hesitantly said.

"Ha ha! Man, I knew it! … well, I know it now, I mean… Undyne told me, um, 'stay away from those humans.' So, like, ummm… I guess that makes us enemies or something. But I kinda stink at that, ha ha. Yo, say something mean so I can hate you? Please?"

"MK..." Frisk lowered her head, sighing. She brought her gaze up to the yellow monster. "Okay, then… um… your sweater is so last season. Where did you even find that trash, the Waterfall dump…?" ._.. __wow. That was terrible, Frisk. _Kid could be clever with puns, being quite quick on her feet, and that was all she could come up with?

"Huh…? Yo, that's your idea of something mean? My sister says that to me ALL THE TIME!" He sighed. "Guess I have to do it, ha ha. Yo, I… I hate your guts. Man, I… I'm such a turd. I'm… I'm gonna go home now." MK slowly backed up, shuffling around Andi before running across the bridge, only for his clawed feet to trip on a loose board. The monster child slipped over the edge, and quickly bit down on the side of the walkway, his teeth the only thing keeping him there. "Yo, w-w-wait! Help! I tripped!" The shout was muffled by the wood in his mouth, but the message was clear.

Andi heard metallic echoing approach from where they came from, and sprinted across the deck, sliding on her feet to where MK hung. _Undyne. _Part of her wanted to run, with the grim reminder of her almost-death still fresh in her mind. On the other hand, she couldn't leave the poor child to drop to his death! What sort of person would she be if she let that happen!? "Hold on, kid! I got you!" Wrapping her arms around his waist, she pulled him back onto the walkway. "Are you alright, MK? Are you hurt?"

He quickly shook his head, panting, and looked behind her. Turning around, the girls and MK stared up at Undyne, who stopped in place. "Y… y… yo… dude… if… if y-you wanna hurt my friends… you're gonna have to get through me, first." Undyne glanced down at Andi, who had pulled herself back to her feet, bringing Frisk to her side protectively. Giving an almost invisible nod, that took both humans by surprise, she turned around and left, just as suddenly as she came.

_Did... was that respect she just gave me? _Whatever it was, she'd take it. "She's gone… yo, you really saved my skin." He grinned wildly at Andi. "Guess being enemies was just a nice thought, ha ha. We'll just have to be friends instead."

"I'd like that," Frisk spoke up. "That was so cool, Andi."

"Well..." Andi gave a small blush. "I just did what you would've done though. I'm sure you would've acted if I didn't move."

"Yeah, you're right," Frisk laughed. She would've done the same, but lifting him might have gone less smoothly due her size.

"Man, I should REALLY go home," MK said, looking back in the direction Undyne left. "I bet my parents are worried sick about me!" He slowly made his way back to the other side of the bridge, but not before giving one last glance at Frisk. "Later, dude!"

"Goodbye, MK!" She shouted. "Ready, Andi?"

"Yeah. I'm ready." The girls finally stepped back onto stable ground, and walked out of the cavern that was Waterfall. _We're almost there, I can feel it. _Andi watched Frisk take the lead, pleased at the turn of events. The temperature was warmer than it was before, and there wasn't as much moisture in the air. _Strange. We had snow, then water. What's next?_

She blinked, seeing Frisk had stopped walking, and was staring up at the top of a small rocky hill. Undyne was perched at the top, looking down at them. "Seven. Seven human souls, and King Asgore will become a god." She turned away from them, her red ponytail blowing in the wind. "Six. That's how many we have collected thus far." Undyne looked back at the girls. "Understand? Through one of your seventh and final souls, this world will be transformed. First, however, as is customary for those who make it this far… I shall tell you the tragic tale of our people. It all started, long ago… no, you know what? SCREW IT! WHY SHOULD I TELL THAT STORY WHEN YOU'RE ABOUT TO DIE!?"

Andi's eyes widened, stepping back in shock. _Well, __if that's not __an 180__, I don't know what is. _"NHAAAHHHHHHH!" Undyne ripped off her helmet, revealing a fish monster with dark blue scales and fins on the sides of her face, and red gills on her neck. One blazing yellow eye stared fiercely down at them, with the other covered by an eye patch bearing the Delta Rune. "YOU! You're standing in the way of everybody's hopes and dreams! Alphys's history books made me humans were cool… with their giant robots and flowery swordswomen."

_What? _Andi turned to Frisk for an explanation, only to get a light giggle. Robots? Swords? What book was this woman reading? "BUT YOU? You're just cowards! Hiding behind that kid so you could run away from me again! And let's not forget your wimpy goody-two-shoes schtick! Oooh! I'm making such a difference by hugging random strangers! You know what would be more valuable to everyone? IF YOU WERE DEAD!"

"That's a lie!" Andi shouted before she could stop herself. "There are monsters down here that care about us!" Images of the motherly monster and skeleton brothers flashed through her head. They cared. Even though they knew what it would mean if they had their souls taken, they wanted to keep them safe. To be friends with them. "And we care about them!"

"Oh, I doubt that," Undyne laughed mockingly, and looked over at Frisk's upset face. "That's right, human! Your continued existence is a crime! Your life is all that stands between us and our freedom! Right now, I can feel everyone's hearts pounding together! Everyone's been waiting their whole lives for this moment! But we're not nervous at all. When everyone puts their hearts together, they can't lose! Now, humans! Let's end this, right here, right now. I'll show you how determined monsters can be! Step forward when you're ready! Fuhuhuhu!"

_Step forward when ready? _Andi and Frisk gazed up at Undyne, the monster's words ringing in their heads. _Us and their... freedom. _"Are you ready for this, Andi?"

Frisk was concerned, and she had every right to be. The last time the elder had faced Undyne, she was stabbed through. She was scared out of her wits right now. And yet...

"... we're halfway through our journey through the Underground," Andi started. Her heart was beating loudly, her heartbeat almost loud enough to hear over the roaring wind. "Even with... that as a reminder... I am not shying away." The young woman pressed the save button next to her, her eyes never once leaving the captain, who flashed her a wide fanged grin. "Ready when you are!" **The adrenaline is pounding in your ears. You are filled with determination and patience.**

* * *

**Another long chapter. Couldn't find a good way to break it apart. Hopefully, this will stop for the next update... probably not.**

**Until next time!**

**Angel**


	11. Fear of Justice

**Disclaimer: As if Andi's almost-death from Undyne wasn't enough... **

**serioushugsies: For the actual concept of resetting... I'm debating if that will make another appearance or not. Still figuring it out.**

"Speaking"

_Thinking_

**Saving**

"**Reading**"

* * *

"That's it, then…!" Undyne's voice rang out overhead, partially muffled from the wind in their ears. "No more running away! HERE I COME!" With those as her last words, the Royal Guard captain dove down from her perch, landing in front of the girls with glowing spear in hand. Andi stepped backwards, tugging Frisk along with her.

Flashing a toothy grin, Undyne waved her weapon in front of her, and the drawn out souls shifted into a bright green hue. _Green, huh? So what does this one do-wait. _The young woman looked to her legs, and paled at the realization that her feet were glued to the dirt-no, maybe glued wasn't the right word. It was like she was anchored in place, and while she tugged viciously at her legs, her boots refused to budge. "I can't move, kid," she said, a nervous twinge in her voice.

Undyne firmly grasped the spear in her hands, and broke it in half with ease. She tossed the pointed end to a still-confident Frisk, and the longer end to her. Its surface was warm, made of an energy that no human could create, and much sturdier than the hiking pole on her back. "As long as you're green, you CAN'T ESCAPE!" Undyne declared. "Unless you two learn to face danger head-on… you won't last a SECOND against ME!"

_We can't run until our souls go back to normal... _"well, crud."Undyne raised a newly formed spear in the air over her head, and dozens of miniature spears rained down upon them. Frisk gave a small shriek, and held the weapon above her head. Andi quickly followed her example, and winced as the bullets bounced off the staff. It, amazingly, didn't dent, but several of the attacks scratched her hands where she held the staff.

"We don't want to fight!" Frisk shouted, arms quivering from the barrage of arrows she held off. Small as they may be, the force behind them was a different matter.

"Not bad!" Undyne said, ignoring the child's pleading. "Then how about THIS!?"

The bullets were no longer flying straight at them, but had began to approach from all sides. "Aah!" Together, the humans swung their arms around, knocking the spears away as fast as they could. Andi, due to her height, kept the spears away from Frisk's and her head, knowing that she would be their first target. "Really, Undyne!" She hollered. "We don't want to fight anyone!"

"For years, we've dreamed of a happy ending..." they continued blocking the bullets, only lowering their defenses when one of the all-too-familiar spears, one exactly like the kind that ripped through Andi's torso, was sent flying in their direction. Feet still unable to move, Frisk and her ducked, having the sharpened point narrowly miss the elder's head. Undyne held her fist in front of her, smiling wickedly. "And now, sunlight is just within our reach! I won't let you two snatch it away from us!" Undyne's head snapped back, and she must have realized they weren't slowing down, giving a frustrated yell. "NGAHHH! Enough warming up!"

_What do you mean, warming up!? _"This wasn't her full power!?" The attacks sped up, and with a swing of her spear, Andi and Frisk's souls returned to their normal colors, the green fading away as fast as it appeared. Undyne hurled the spear in her hand at them, and this time, the girls side-stepped out of the way, watching it sail past and over the cliff. "Move!"

The girls sprinted past Undyne, enough momentum that kicked up dirt and rocks with each step. "What the-hey!" Undyne shouted behind them as they ran into the cavern, not bothering to look back. The two made it halfway through the tunnel, a land bridge that stretched over the river that she saw in Snowdin evident from the ice flow drifting along, only for their souls to get drawn back out in green.

Andi almost fell forward as her feet locked into place, and Frisk hurried to steady her. "You won't get away from me this time!" They couldn't face Undyne directly, with how they were standing when the green magic was activated, but Andi knew the fish monster's previous anger had vanished, now smug that she had them right where she wanted.

"Honestly, I'm doing you two a favor." Undyne launched several more rounds of bullets, each one deflected off Frisk's and Andi's weapons that thankfully, hadn't vanished when their souls had returned to their bodies. "No human has EVER made it past Asgore! Killing you two now is an act of mercy!"

She wanted to snap out at the fish woman, but chose to focus more on the small hail of spears. She didn't want to feed the fire that had begun to grow the moment they attempted sprinting. Still, Undyne growled at Andi, seeing she was clearly disagreeing with her idea, and drew her finger across her neck mockingly. "So stop being so resilient!"

Andi looked at Frisk in concern, seeing the child's reflexes began to slow down before turning back to Undyne. _We need to wrap this up soon. _The knight swung her spear, and the girls' souls once again returned to their normal colors. Quickly ducking another spear, _Finally. _Andi and Frisk bolted down the path, not letting Undyne began to barrage them with more spears. Running out of the cavern, the earth began to take on a red hue, the moisture in the air noticeably less, and felt their souls again get yanked out. "Come on!"

"You've escaped from me for the LAST time!" Undyne looked at the two girls carefully, and gave a grim smirk. "Alphys told me humans were determined…" Frisk raised her small spear to block the oncoming attacks, and swung her weapon like a bat to deflect the golden arrow that came from behind and zoomed in front of her. Undyne's one eye widened, and she leaned to the side as it went soaring past her head. "I see now what she meant by that!" she commented, a twinge of approval in her tone.

Copying Frisk's technique, Andi swung her staff with ease, bouncing away the bullets. However, she struggled with the golden arrows, trying to follow their pattern. One such arrow evaded her swing, slamming into the red and blue soul and vanishing upon making contact. "Gah!" She screamed, knees buckling and grasping at her chest.

She had never been attacked directly like that before. Every other time was only her body. But when her soul was struck, she felt it everywhere, especially in her heart. The impact sent shock waves of pain through her entire being, and tears formed in her eyes.

"But I'm determined too!" Undyne drew the injured woman's attention, leaning on the staff to keep from falling forward onto her knees. "Determined to end this RIGHT NOW!" Frisk, seeing Andi wasn't getting up fast enough, leaned as far as she could with her feet still in place. Hastily, she whacked the blue arrows away, while Andi's heart pounding to the point she could hear it in her ears. "… RIGHT NOW!" Andi quickly pulled herself up to her feet, and managed to hit the bullets that got too close to Frisk. Her health hadn't been too severely damaged, since it was the only one hit, but it was enough to dread any more lucky strikes. _We've had it easy so far, _she noted. _We're more than halfway through the Underground. Of course, it'd get more difficult. _"… RIGHT… NOW!" Regaining what strength they still had, they smacked the arrows away, earning a clear eye twitch from Undyne.

"NGAHHH!" The Royal Guard captain exclaimed, swinging her spear over her head in frustration. "DIE ALREADY, YOU BRATS!" Several golden arrows flew towards them, and the humans struggle to hit them as they turned direction. Still slowed down from the attack earlier, Andi let out a pained gasp as two more rushed her soul. _I can't take much more of th-! _

Undyne had already... killed her, once before. While her body was fine, if her soul suffered... too many hits...? _Would it... br-? _Andi's morbid thoughts came to a screeching halt as her soul regained its blue and red coloring. She watched Frisk dart past Undyne, and struggled to catch up with her. Reaching down, she latched onto the child's hand, and Frisk picked up her pace, guiding her through the entrance into Hotland as fast as she could. Andi could see light up ahead, just through the large mouth of the cave, and smiled. To her left, a large electronic sign announced their destination in red flashy lights. "W-we made it!" Her steps quickened, ready to switch spots with Frisk in taking the lead, only for the kid to come to a screeching halt.

"Frisk!?" Andi shrieked. "What are you-!?"

A ringing erupted from her pocket, and Frisk snatched it off her person without a word. "HEY! WHAT'S UP!?" Papyrus' voice rang out from the speaker once Frisk accepted the call. "I WAS JUST THINKING… YOU TWO, ME, AND UNDYNE SHOULD ALL HANG OUT SOMETIME!" _Frisk! _Andi turned back, seeing that Undyne was... not stalking up to them. She stood there, glaring viciously at the child and the phone. _But, why the ph-Papyrus. _It was because Papyrus was on the phone that she wasn't attacking. If she did anything, he would hear it. _She doesn't want him to know we're trying to avoid being skewered. _That was... sort of nice. "I THINK YOU WOULD MAKE GREAT PALS! LET'S MEET UP AT HER HOUSE LATER!" The moment Frisk had hung up, the chase began once again. Frisk shoved the phone into her own pocket, and grabbed onto Andi's hand, the two keeping an equal pace.

"Stop running away!" She yelled. _Excuse me for having my will to keep living be a hassle for you! _"I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED!" There were no more spears being thrown, at least, the small ones that they had to deflect. Four large ones, on the other hand, appeared overhead, and with a finger point, were sent flying at them. Frisk released Andi's hand, spinning her body around to avoid the barrage.

"We just wanna be friends!" She cried out, sweat dripping down her forehead. From the change in heat, or how long the battle was, Andi couldn't tell. She felt the same too. The dampness of Waterfall was a distant memory now, replaced by extremely warm temperatures. Undyne's eye darted between the two, almost like she was looking for someone, but didn't summon any more spears.

_It's working! _Andi grinned, seeing that their mercy was starting to affect the angry fish. "We really mean it, Undyne! We just want to be your friend!"

Undyne's eye gave an involuntary twitch, and not waiting to see what would happen next, Andi swung Frisk back over her shoulders and sprinted down the hallway. Checking to see that Frisk wouldn't knock her head against the cavern's exit, she let out a gasp at the long wooden bridge connecting them to the other side of Hotland, a sea of boiling lava flowing below. _Lava!? Now, of all times!? Where was this sooner!? _Andi's ears could pick up the heavy footsteps of the knight, and continued her running, only to pause for a second to look at Sans sleeping behind a sentry post next to the bridge. "Seriously, Sans!?"

Giving a small frown at the short skeleton, she dashed out onto the walkway. The bridge was sturdy, hardly swaying at the rapid movement on top of it. Undyne's footsteps slowed down as she made her way across the lava, practically to a crawl. Once she reached the end, she dropped Frisk, and turned to see the struggling monster reach them.

"Armor… so… hot… but I can't… give up...!" Undyne groaned, and to mark the end of her vicious assault, fell forward in a bang. Half of her body laid on the bridge, the other half on the dirt where they stood, sweat pouring off her scaly brow. Her breathing was heavy, and the dark blue scales were starting to pale.

"Frisk!" Andi exclaimed. "Do something! She's drying out!"

Nodding, Frisk ran over to the water cooler set up by the entrance to Hotland. No doubt, it was exactly for this reason that it was put there. After all, if Undyne worked under Asgore, she must have come through Hotland before. Water on hand must have been because a dehydrated captain had not been a new incident. Frisk filled up the paper cup and rushed back to them, throwing the contents over her head when she got close enough. Undyne shook, the moisture sinking into her body, and lifted her head slowly to look at them. _She's confused._ She was, looking between the two humans who bore tired but pleased smiles.

Undyne raised an eyebrow, slowly pulling herself to her feet, but did not attack. Slowly, she turned around and made her way back towards Waterfall. Seeing that they were no longer in danger, the two slid to the ground, sighing. "Wow," Andi panted, throwing Frisk a tired smile. "That was... something, wasn't it?"

"Yep," Frisk agreed, equally out of breath. "There's a... save point... up ahead."

"Better use it then. I... really don't want to go through that again." She began to pull herself to her feet, before pausing. "Hotland, huh...?" Idea not leaving her be, Andi slid the bag off her back, and began to pull off her sweater.

"Andi, what are you-?"

"We're going to be sweating bullets the entire time we go through here otherwise, Frisk. We can put them back on when we get out." A dark blue tank top was underneath, decorated with white flowers along the bottom left side. "I don't want to risk heat stroke."

"... okay." Frisk smiled at the idea, and copied the action. A black t-shirt, a little on the large side was freed from the sweater cage, and she handed the sweater over to her. Andi tossed the tops into the bag, closing it up and putting it back on. _Now the worst thing I have to fear is burns. _Smiling at the sight of the golden star down the path, Frisk jogged over and lightly tapped the warm light. **Seeing such a strange laboratory in a place like this… you're filled with determination. **"That's the next stop."

The two looked up at the tall white building, the sound of gas hissing through its vents almost overpowering the lava flowing below. "Seeing that we have no other option, yeah. Let's go." The girls walked up to the entrance, causing the automatic doors to open. The lights weren't on, but the interior was much cooler than the outside. _Oh well._ They strolled down the tiled hallway, glancing at the large monitor off to the side. Their images were broadcast on the screen, though, it wasn't that clear of a picture, with the lights off. _We're being filmed. _"Why's it so dark in here? Where's the light switch?"

Before Frisk could respond, a door further up ahead opened, and a monster walked out. She couldn't have been any taller than Andi, wearing a buttoned lab coat that hid the shirt underneath, and a pair of light brown pants. Her scales, unlike Undyne's, were more of a lizard's, and the spikes emerging from her head somewhat remained her of pigtails. The monster moved to the wall, turning the lights back on, and turned in their direction.

Behind half-moon glasses, her eyes widened, and she stumbled backwards in alarm. "Oh. My god," she stuttered. "I didn't expect you two to show up so soon! I haven't showered, I'm barely dressed, it's all messy, and..."

"I'm sorry," Andi cut her off, confused. "You were... expecting us?" _But... we never met her before._

"Ummm..." she looked at the woman sheepishly. "H-h-hiya! I'm Dr. Alphys. I'm Asgore's Royal Scientist!" _Alphys. _The trap Papyrus had made in Snowdin, involving the machine and different colored tiles... so that was her.

"It's nice to meet you, Alphys." The poor woman was obviously not ready for them, and Andi wanted to try and calm her down before she got too wound up. "I'm Andi, and this here's Frisk." She gave a small knowing smile. "But... I bet you already knew that."

"Eh..." Alphys didn't answer, but her wringing hands and eyes darting to the side suggested she was right. "B-b-but, ahhh, I'm not one of the 'bad guys'! Actually, since you two stepped out of the Ruins, I've, ummm…" Alphys gave an embarrassed blush. "… been 'observing' your journey through my console."

"So those cameras we kept finding were yours, weren't they?" Their idea that they came up with, that if anyone was watching and hadn't done anything yet, was correct. Alphys hadn't sent guards after them, even though she knew exactly where they were located.

Alphys gave an excited smile, quickly nodding. "Your fights… your friendships… everything! I was originally going to stop you, but… watching someone on a screen really makes you root for them. S-so, ahhh, now I want to help you!" She declared, a small determined smile appearing on her face. "Using my knowledge, I can easily guide you through Hotland! I know a way right to Asgore's castle, no problem!" However, her smile faltered, and she looked away nervously. "Well, actually, umm, there's just a tiny issue."

"What's that?" Frisk asked.

"A long time ago, I made a robot named Mettaton. Originally, I built him to be an entertainment robot. Uh, you know, like a robotic TV star or something. Anyway, recently I decided to make him more useful. You know, just some small practical adjustments. Like, ummm..." Alphys' face turned bright red. "Anti… anti-human combat features?"

Andi gave the yellow monster a blank look. "Anti-human... seriously?" _I mean, really? How ironic can you possibly get?_

"Of c-course, when I saw you girls coming, I immediately decided… I have to remove those features! Unfortunately, I may have made a teensy mistake while doing so."

Frisk looked at Alphys warily. "What did you do?"

"And, ummm… now he's an unstoppable killing machine with a thirst for human blood?" _Thirst for-?_

"You hear that?" Andi asked. "That's the sound of a hand colliding with a forehead." She didn't, actually. She was already too worn out from Undyne's fight, doing so might knock herself out. "We can't catch a break, can we?"

"Apparently," Frisk murmured, giving a tiny amused smile at her guardian's annoyance.

Alphys laughed uneasily. "Heh. But, ummm, hopefully we won't run into him!" _She's going to jinx us, isn't she? _A loud, echoing bang rang through the room, the vibrations knocking over several boxes stacked precariously on a table.

"What was that!?" Andi yelped, pulling Frisk towards her. The metallic banging got louder, making the three turn towards the wall near the door Alphys had exited. "Alphys?"

"Oh. Oh no." _Oh, no, what!?_

A bright flash of light blinded them, accompanying the sound of smashing of plaster, metal, and wood. "OHHH YES!" A distinctly robotic male voice shouted. "WELCOME, BEAUTIES…" a drum roll played somewhere in the background, and a spotlight lit up the large hole in the drywall. A rectangular robot rolled outwards on its one wheel, waving wildly. Its grid-styled screen altered between red and yellow, changing how the colors were displayed every few seconds. "… TO TODAY'S QUIZ SHOW!"

_What the…? _Andi stared at the robot as confetti rained down from the ceiling, and two disco balls bathed the room in multicolored hues. A large sign hung above the robot, spelling out "**Game Show**" in twinkling lights. _What is going on? _"OH BOY! I CAN ALREADY TELL IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT SHOW! EVERYONE GIVE A BIG HAND FOR OUR WONDERFUL CONTESTANTS!" The robot, which Andi could only assume was the previously mentioned Mettaton, gestured to the two girls as confetti rained down around them once again.

"Uh... hi?" Frisk waved shyly, while Andi plucked a piece of paper from her hair with a frown.

"NEVER PLAYED BEFORE, GORGEOUS?"

"No. And don't call me gorgeous," Andi frowned, giving the robot an unimpressed look. Games? Everyone? If this was being filmed, then where were the cameras?

"OOOH, FEISTY. THAT'S DEFINITELY GONNA ATTRACT RATINGS," Mettaton commented. "NO PROBLEM! IT'S SIMPLE! THERE'S ONLY ONE RULE. ANSWER CORRECTLY… OR YOU DIE!"

"This is probably what Alphys warned us about," the woman deadpanned. The girls' souls floated out of them, and Alphys ran behind the robot, getting out of the way. _Questions and answers, huh? Deadly, yes, but it seems pretty simple._

"LET'S START WITH AN EASY ONE! WHAT'S THE PRIZE FOR ANSWERING CORRECTLY?" Mettaton asked, pulling a microphone out of thin air and holding it close to his screen. With his free hand, he rolled a cube across the floor, having it come to a stop at their feet. With a hum, the top popped open, and a screen was projected up in front of them in shimmering green light. Frisk grinned, and tapped the "**More Questions**" button. Her hand phased through, but the action triggered the correct result, making the light turn yellow.

"RIGHT! SOUNDS LIKE YOU GET IT!" Mettaton cheered as confetti fell around them again. Alphys gave a thumbs up, albeit a shaky one. "HERE'S YOUR TERRIFIC PRIZE! WHAT'S THE KING'S FULL NAME?"

"That one's easy." Andi put her hand on C, feeling the slight warmth of the projector hit her skin.

"CORRECT! WHAT A TERRIFIC ANSWER! ENOUGH ABOUT YOU GIRLS. LET'S TALK ABOUT ME!" _But we weren't talking about you. _"WHAT ARE ROBOTS MADE OF?"

"I got it." Andi responded again, and answered "**Metal and Magic**". "Wow, Mettaton. You really ought to try a little harder." If he was going to risk their lives with this game, she would like a little challenge.

'TOO EASY FOR YOU, HUH?" He taunted, clearly amused by the woman's remark. "WELL, DARLING, HERE'S ANOTHER EASY ONE FOR YOU!" Another screen appeared behind him, displaying a large math problem. Frisk and her started at the puzzle, dumbfounded.

"I'm nine!" Frisk complained, gesturing to the screen while looking from Mettaton to Andi. "How is that fair?" Andi glanced behind the robot diva, and saw Alphys make a shape with her hands, looking at Mettaton to make sure he didn't catch her. _Got it. _Giving a small nod in understanding, she hit the D option before the time limit ran out.

"WONDERFUL! I'M ASTOUNDED, FOLKS! BUT DON'T 'COUNT' ON YOUR VICTORY YET, GORGEOUS..." Mettaton directed his statement at Andi. _I really don't like this guy. Really. Enough with the comments. _"HOW MANY FILES ARE IN THIS JAR?" He held up a glass jar, as Alphys made an A shape with her hands in the background. Frisk scrambled for the "**54**" button, earning another burst of confetti. "CORRECT! YOU'RE SO LUCKY TODAY! NOW HOW ABOUT WE PLAY A MEMORY GAME?" An image of half of a Froggit's head appeared on the screen. "WHAT MONSTER IS THIS?"

_Froggit, obviously. _Before Andi could move towards the button, Frisk reached out and pressed D instead of A. "But Frisk, that's clearly a-?"

"Watch." The image of Froggit shrank back to reveal an image of Mettaton wearing a shirt with a Froggit on the front. _Oh. _Well... seeing how Mettaton acted, she shouldn't be surprised.

"I'M SO FLATTERED YOU REMEMBERED!" Mettaton praised. "BUT CAN YOU TWO GET THIS ONE? WOULD YOU SMOOCH A GHOST?"

"Ummm..." Andi's eyebrows flew upwards, a blush spreading across her face. _Well, isn't that a little…? _Personal? Inappropriate? Besides that, she only knew two ghosts in the Underground, and only one of them was her friend. The other threw a knife and launched little rockets at them. _But I still wouldn't kiss Blooky. And yet..._Andi hesitantly hit option C. No matter what she wanted to say, every single option was the exact same, so it didn't matter what she said in the end. _Please, Blooky, don't be watching this._

"GREAT ANSWER! I LOVE IT!" Mettaton shouted.

"It's not like I'd be able to avoid that question in the first place," Andi crossed her arms, glaring darkly. _Guy cornered us __with no other option._

"WHATEVER MAKES YOU COMFORTABLE." Mettaton shrugged. "HERE'S A SIMPLE ONE. HOW MANY LETTERS IN THE NAME METTATONNNNNNNN…" The girls watched as he continuously repeated the last letter, dragging out the name as it began to circle around the screen. Alphys looked at them alarmed, hurriedly making a C. Frisk quickly pressed the button as the four answers continued to change, number count increasing at a pace that they couldn't register. "OF COURSE THAT WAS EASY FOR YOU!" Mettaton complained. "TIME TO BREAK OUT THE BIG GUNS! IN THE DATING SIMULATION VIDEO GAME 'MEW MEW KISSY CUTIE', WHAT IS MEW MEW'S FAVORITE FOOD?"

Before Frisk and Andi could respond, Alphys started waving her hands excitedly, and all three of them looked at her. "OH! OH! I KNOW THIS ONE! IT'S SNAIL ICE CREAM!" She yelled. "IN THE FOURTH CHAPTER EVERYONE GOES TO THE BEACH AND SHE BUYS ICE CREAM FOR ALL OF HER FRIENDS! BUT IT'S SNAIL FLAVOR AND SHE'S THE ONLY ONE WHO WANTS IT! IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS OF THE GAME BECAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY A VERY POWERFUL message about friendship and..." her face turned beet red, seeing that she was finally caught in the act, and looked at Mettaton in shame.

"ALPHYS, ALPHYS, ALPHYS. YOU AREN'T HELPING OUR CONTESTANTS, ARE YOU?" She shook her head, giving the robot a sheepish grin. "OOOOOH! YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME. I'LL ASK A QUESTION… YOU'LL BE SURE TO KNOW THE ANSWER TO! WHO DOES DR. ALPHYS HAVE A CRUSH ON?"

"Isn't that kinda personal?" Andi asked, her glare coming off even harsher. She scanned over the options and paused on Undyne's name. _Undyne sure talked about her a lot while we were fighting… I wonder… _"sorry, Alphys." _But I'd rather live another day than spare you from embarrassment. _She pressed the monster's name, and just as she predicted, another round of confetti fell from above.

"SEE, ALPHYS? I TOLD YOU IT WAS OBVIOUS. EVEN THE HUMANS FIGURED IT OUT." Alphys buried her head into her hands, blushing madly. "YES, SHE SCRAWLS HER NAME IN THE MARGINS OF HER NOTES. SHE NAMES PROGRAMMING VARIABLES AFTER HER. SHE EVEN WRITES STORIES OF THEM TOGETHER… SHARING A DOMESTIC LIFE."

"Mettaton, I swear if you keep this up... this is live television," Andi exclaimed. "Besides, I thought we were the stars of your show. Not Alphys." She hated this. A lot. But she'd rather have the focus on her and Frisk, than make Alphys gain unwanted attention from the Underground.

"I SUPPOSE YOU ARE CORRECT, DARLING. FINE..." Mettaton said disappointingly, before perking up again. "WELL, WELL WELL. WITH DR. ALPHYS HELPING YOU… THE SHOW HAS NO DRAMATIC TENSION! WE CAN'T GO ON LIKE THIS! BUT. BUT! THIS WAS JUST THE PILOT EPISODE! NEXT UP, MORE DRAMA! MORE ROMANCE! MORE BLOODSHED!"

"I seriously hope not!" Andi said in the same tone of Mettaton.

"UNTIL NEXT TIME, DARLINGS…!" His arms retracted into his body, followed by his wheel as he lowered himself to the floor. A burst of flames shot out from the base, and he flew away upwards, leaving a large hole in the ceiling in the process as titles fell down from impact. Alphys looked to where the robot disappeared, sighing.

"Well that was certainly something else," she said. Andi gave the lizard a sad smile and walked over towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder. The projections had turned off, but the mess Mettaton had made remained, the only proof he was ever there. That... and the aftereffects of his question on Alphys.

"Alphys, are you okay?" Andi asked. "About the... you know?"

"Th-that last question… he wasn't s-supposed to ask that one…" she shuffled her feet, staring down at the floor.

"Yeah, well... I'm guessing he wasn't supposed to do a lot of things." Teasing her, for starters. She ran her fingers through her hair, grimacing at the texture. _I really need to freshen up. Not like there's any time right now though. _"Let's get going, Frisk. We still got a long way to go."

"Wait, wait!" Alphys shouted, just before they could start off through the lab to the exit on the other side. "Let me give you my ph-phone number! Th-then… m-maybe… if you two need help, I could…"

"Alright." Frisk fished out the phone and handed it over. The screen was smeared in fingerprints, and since the start of their journey, had suffered several cracks and chips on its body.

"Wh… where'd you get that phone!? It's ANCIENT!" Alphys exclaimed, staring at the phone in surprise. "It doesn't even have texting." _Seeing how Toriel had spent who knows how long in the Ruins, I highly doubt she's caught up with the technology_. If, and she was only guessing at this point, technology was just starting to pick up speed on the Surface, then that would've been around the time Toriel had locked herself away in the Ruins. Sans' phone, the brief moment she had seen it, was only a little dated compared to her destroyed one. "W-wait a second, please!"

Alphys held the phone close to her face, hunched over to where they couldn't see exactly what she was doing. Whatever it was, the sound of electronic beeping and metal being fused together was enough for Andi and Frisk to take a cautious step back. Nodding in satisfaction, she straightened up and placed the phone into Frisk's hands. "Here, I upgraded it for you! It can do texting, items, it's got a key chain… I even signed you up for the Underground's number 1 social network!"

"They have WiFi down here?" Andi asked, spinning the key chain around to have a look at it. _It's some sort of anime cat-girl. I... I don't get it. _Perhaps it was the anime show Alphys was ranting about when Mettaton asked the question...?

"Yep! Now we're officially friends! Ehehehe! Hehe... heh..." the lizard's laughter fizzled out, but the humans didn't mind. Knowledge of Hotland, the various puzzles set up; this was perfect! _We might actually make it home sooner than I thought, _Andi smiled.

"Thanks, Alphys! Um… I hope you don't mind me asking, but do you know anywhere Frisk and I could spend the night? If it... is anywhere close to night?" After getting chased through Waterfall, and the amount of injuries sustained from Undyne during and... she needed to lie down, and just... empty her mind. She needed to recover.

"O-oh! Well, uh, the hotel isn't too far away, but judging from what I saw through the cameras, I doubt you'd be able to make it there in o-one piece. H-how about you spend the night here?" She looked towards an escalator off to the side near the door she came from. "I have a bed up there, a-and not an actual room. B-but I have a guest one set up in case Un-I mean, anyone comes over!" _So the Undyne thing really is correct. _

"I'm fine with that. What about you, kid?" Frisk opened her mouth, only to give a tired yawn instead. "I take that as a yes. Lead the way, Alphys." Still smiling nervously, Alphys guided them to the escalator, taking them up to the second floor. Bookshelves covered in scientific books and anime, anime posters, a desk covered in papers, and several inventions that Andi had no idea what they could be.

"I-I'm sorry if it's a mess. I d-don't get many visitors." Stopping in front of a door on the left, she opened it to reveal the guest room. It still had the same design as the rest of the lab, green walls and blue tiled floor, except for a night stand with a pink lampshade bearing the same cat-girl, and the bedspread being a hot pink comforter with golden fish sewn into it and yellow sheets. "It's..."

"It's fine, Alphys. The design isn't a problem." Frisk kicked off her boots, running forward and throwing herself into the bed. Once she got to the head, she shuffled under the covers, dropping her head onto the pillow with a grin. "Heh. It's just fine." Frisk needed rest, just as much as she did. After all, the poor kid was there with her, when the spear tore through her. If it wasn't for her, and the save function... she wouldn't even be there right now. "And Alphys? I'm not sure why you're so nervous, about what we'd think of you. But if it makes you feel better, Frisk and I like you."

Alphys stared at her, and gave a small but appreciative smile. "Th-thank you, Andi," she said, voice much softer than usual. "Th-that means a lot... y-you know, when I was watching you through the cameras... I could see how w-well you two handled ev-everything. You're r-really close, aren't you?"

"Yeah. We are." She looked back at the sleepy nine-year-old. Frisk's covered form slightly shifted, her breathing soft and muffled by the blanket. _Of course, she would pass out so quickly. _"Frisk, she's… she's my best friend. I've been with her every step of the way. On the Surface, and down here. But now… we've made so many new friends." Toriel, Sans, Papyrus, and now Alphys. They were all their friends. Even the other monsters they briefly met along the way, like Blooky and MK; they all got along. Time was slowly ticking by, and she knew they would be arriving in the Capital in possibly two days maximum. They were almost out. "Night, Alphys. See you in the morning."

"I-I'll come get you if i-it gets too late." With one last smile, Alphys headed off to the end of the large room, taking the escalator back downstairs. Waiting a few seconds in case she came back, Andi slipped inside, closing the door and making sure she didn't accidentally awake Frisk.

"Mmm." The child rolled over under the covers, the only sign she heard anything. _Phew. _Taking off her own boots, she dropped the bag at the foot of the bed and crawled in beside Frisk. The lamp cast a silhouette of the anime character on the wall, bathing the room in a faint glow. Untying the ribbon from her hair, she lowered it on the table and flicked the lights off, sending the room into darkness.

_We are close, aren't we? _Andi glanced again over at Frisk, her chest rising and falling steadily. _And we're close to the others too. _How much Toriel had wanted them to stay. The fun they had with Sans and Papyrus, other cooking and puns. It was all so... wonderful, and surreal. _Like... a story. Monsters, and magic, and legends. _Stuff that shouldn't and couldn't be real, but was.

Andi reached under the sheets, placing her hand over her heart. Up... down. Up... down. _I'm... still alive. _Her eyes fell shut. Up... down. Up... down. _I'm not dead. I'm not. __I'm still... alive. _Her heart began to slow down, and the weight of the day finally began to crash down on her. Up... down... up... down...

_.__.. resets. Sans' __answers__, and... Frisk'__s__. _They weren't telling the full truth. Frisk had been in the Underground before. But... why didn't anyone ever answer honestly? If she could recall events when Frisk loaded, how come she didn't remember anything from the other resets. _I'm... missing something. But... _

Others sensed or were familiar with Frisk, hinting at it or stating it directly to them. Resets were when someone wanted to do everything all over again, loads were when one got hurt or died. Frisk's... her fear of the knife, and Flowey's dark statement on how she... didn't know Frisk as well as she thought she did. Flowey... who said in the very beginning that Frisk didn't... kill anyone this... time.

_Frisk... _her thoughts-exhausted, hurt, and confused-finally died out, head slumping to the side facing away from her young friend. _What... what have you done?_

**...**

**Determination.**

* * *

**Until next time!**

**Angel**


	12. Spare Them

**Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale.**

"Speaking"

_Thinking_

"**Reading**"

**Saving**

* * *

Hot, dry air blew around Hotland, sweeping up the red dust at her feet. It was definitely a new area, one that she hadn't entered yet. Then again, she hadn't been exploring the lava-filled section of the Underground that much. They hadn't even been there for a few hours yet.

_So then... _"how exactly did I get here?" She was asleep, right? She had passed out, thinking about... was this a joke? Or did she manage to somehow sleepwalk her way out of the lab and into the middle of nowhere? "Hmmm... guess I better start walking back."

Andi began the trek, kicking a small pebble along the way. Sleepwalking. It had to be it. She wasn't wearing her boots, or was carrying her bag. "And there's nobody out here either. It's probably still late." The ground wasn't hurting her feet too badly. Her socks were stained in the red dust, but other than that, no sharp rocks were digging into them.

"Man, I wish I had a watch." She stopped, moving towards the edge of the walkway and looked down. _There's... what's going on at the lab? _It was far below, but she could make out, on the rear of the building, dozens of monsters heading inside. Alphys stood at the door, letting them pass through. "What...?" _What is Alphys doing? Where did all those monsters come from-is that Grillby?_

It was. The fire elemental had his arm wrapped around a smaller green-flamed monster, keeping them close until they were out of sight. "What is happening?"

"Is it cold in here?" Hearing the rather loud voice, Andi inched closer to the drop and peered over the side. A monster, with a body resembling a coiled rope and a flaming head, bounced cheerfully along the floor below, yellow and orange shoes skipping across the platform.

"I need to get down there. Maybe they can give me a hand." Backing away from the drop, Andi searched her surroundings again, and spotted an elevator not too far away. "Perfect." Running over, she hurried inside, arm stretched out to press the button once she was close enough. However, the door opened once she neared it, and she drew her arm back. "Now I get some answer-Frisk?"

The child stepped out, and Andi moved to let her pass. _Oh, thank goodness! _"Frisk, you have no idea how confused I am right now. I think I might've been walking in my sleep, or... hey, Frisk?" She wasn't responding, so much as even giving a blink at Andi's presence. "Hey, kid? You awake or something?" Silently, Frisk began to move forward, a slow walk towards the direction she had come from. "Hey, kid!" Andi rushed ahead, coming to a stop in front of her. "Frisk, can't you hear-aah!?"

Frisk, without batting an eye, kept moving forward, and passed straight through her. She... she wasn't... "Ah. A-ah...!" Frisk kept walking, not acknowledging her guardian, who had frozen in place. _She... I don't... wh-what...? _Wh-what was that? What was that? Frisk had walked through-it was a dream. Th-that had to have been it. N-no matter how real it seemed, sh-she was dreaming. Nothing was real right now. N-none of it. _None of it. None of it._

She repeated those three words, turning them into a mantra, making them stick in her brain. _None of it's real. I mean, of course it's not real. How else could I've ended up here? _"Frisk..." she came from the elevator, right where she was going to? _Wouldn't that mean she was down there with the monster? _

Monster. As if she flicked a switch, or brought two wires together, an almost instantaneous shock wracked through her mind. Despite Hotland's unbearable temperature, Andi felt... cold. A strong shiver went up her spine, coiling around her, and she wrapped her arms around herself. _Why am I... so scared, all of a sudden? _She moved back to the edge, and looked over.

There was no monster in sight. Instead, a few steps away, was a small pile of grey powder.

"Mmmmaahurgh!" A strangled, twisted sound escaped her throat, and Andi stumbled back, hands clamped over her mouth. **Not a single soul was taken, and countless monsters were turned to dust... **

The message rang through her head, her sick thought proving correct. _But they were-it was just-Frisk!? _Frisk was down there with them, right!? So did that mean that!? But she couldn't have-!? "What the hell's going on?" The woman's voice trembled, blood draining from her face. _What sort of dream is this!?_

"Ding!"

Someone had just stepped out of the elevator.

Her head snapped to the side at the sound of a door closing and approaching footsteps. The dirt crunching under the soles of their footwear. "... Sans...?" A hood covered his head, but it was without a doubt the skeleton. Hands shoved into his pockets, head down, he moved towards the edge where she was. He peered down, giving a glance at the remains of the monster directly below, and then towards Alphys' lab. _Alphys... and the monsters-oh, god. _"It's an evacuation."

She was evacuating the Underground residents, and with what she just saw... d-did that mean that Frisk was the reason? "Sans, what's happening?" Andi reached towards him. As she rested her hand on his shoulder, she flinched as it phased through him; bones and all. "Mmmm." Pulling her arm back, Sans slowly turned to look at the direction Frisk went. Faint watery tracks were noticeable on his cheeks, but his eyes... though they had their lights, Sans looked... empty. Drained.

Not saying a word, Sans glanced back towards the lab, and vanished on the spot. "I-I gotta wake up." She had to wake up. This-this was a nightmare. A twisted nightmare. None of it was real! "Wake up! Wake up!" Her fingers curled into her hair as she clutched her head, eyes tightly closed. "Come on, Andrea! Wake up, wake up!" _Wake. UP!_

* * *

A scream caught in her throat, struggling to hold it back as she sprung from the bed. Sweat clung to her forehead, plastering the auburn hair to her skin. Breathing raggedly, she reached a hand up to her forehead, head in her hand as she stared down at her lap. "What... what was...?"

"Merrrr..." Andi looked to the side. Frisk slept on, only giving the soft vocalization as any sign she heard her abrupt awakening. Other than that, the brunette's head rolled to the side, a strand of her sticking in her mouth that she unconsciously spat out. "Pfft."

"Ha... h-ha..." Andi turned to face the door. The light underneath was no longer on, leading to the idea that Alphys had gone to bed too. _Do I really want to know the time? _She... she didn't. No matter what it was, she doubted she could fall asleep again. Not after that.

Reaching under the covers, she slipped the phone out of Frisk's pocket, doing her best not to wake her. Rolling the updated device in her hands, she pressed the power button. The screen lit up in a soft green glow, and she checked the time stamp before turning it off again. _It's four in the morning. _The earliest she and Frisk would head out would be eight. Nine at the latest. "I, just... I-I..."

_I need someone to talk to. _Anyone. She didn't care who, she just... she needed someone. Throwing the blanket and sheet off her, she crawled off the bed and crept towards the door. Her sock covered feet barely made a sound against the floor, and thankfully, neither did opening the door when she reached it. Giving a quick glance back at Frisk, she dipped out, closing it so the knob wouldn't click. A soft snort came from the far side of the room, and where she had spotted the giant blue cube, Alphys was curled up in a bed of her own, its style mimicking the one they had in the guest room.

The absolute quietness meant the escalators were not functioning, and instead of making her way to the one that went down, she moved to the upstairs one, walking downwards to the main floor while giving a slight frown as the steps' lines dug into her feet. Her feet... it was a nightmare, but she could feel the warm dirt under her feet. The smell of the earth that stained her white socks.

A choked sob ripped through her, and she moved to the disaster that was Alphys' desk. Mountains of papers and envelops surrounded an old computer monitor, the computer itself sitting on the floor beside the wooden desk. She could have sat in the chair itself, but still on edge, still distressed, Andi bent down and inched her way underneath, drawing her legs to her chest.

Her behavior... it wasn't the first time she had done something similar to this. But it had been years; more than a decade since she had a dream that rocked her that much. Terrified, and a mental and emotional wreck. It brought her back to a time where she hadn't even met Frisk yet. _Who... who can I talk to?_

Papyrus, she didn't want to stress him out. The younger of the two brothers, she did not want to bring this up to him. Perhaps he could offer some advice, but after the stress of trying to keep Undyne off their path, he didn't need it. Toriel... she wasn't picking up to begin with. If her voicemail proved anything, she would not be responding any time soon. Alphys had had enough drama in the last few hours, thanks to Mettaton. _Which means..._

Sans it was. But Papyrus said he had their number. She did not, so how was that supposed to work? _Didn't Alphys say something about a social network? _An app off to the side, bearing the Delta Rune symbol, was the only thing she had to select, besides the normal texting and calling apps, and a few others she couldn't figure out. Clicking it, she found a microblogging application, with dozens of different monsters' posts. A search bar sat at the top, and she hurried to select it.

_Everyone has a handle, so I just have to figure out what his might be. _"I wonder..." her thumbs rushed over the buttons, printing out a message. "**ComicSans**." _Come on, come on-ugh. _Nothing. Her heart was still beating, her ears not picking up the faint humming of the lab's machinery. She needed something to go on. Anything. What sort of phrase would Sans use? "Think..."

**... LegendaryFartmaster.**

"Oh!" Andi almost let the phone fall from her hands, the voice speaking as if it were right beside her. Breathing shakily, she stuck her head out from under the desk. No one was there, and frankly, she didn't expect anyone to be. "I can't-why...?"

She didn't argue though. The voice, while she could not give any reason for it, other than being there for save points and the odd dog moment, it hadn't led her wrong yet. Biting her lip, Andi input the words, and sure enough, there was one account matching the name. There was no profile image, but selecting it showed a variety of puns, and comments expressing clear distaste. _Papyrus. _Hurrying, she began to send a private message, hands trembling. "**Sans. It's Andi. Please call.**"

"**andi?**" She breathed a sigh, seeing the almost immediate reply. "**how'd you get on here? is something wrong?**" His written font, somehow, was comic sans, and she gave a tired smile at the joke.

"**No. Please, call my cell, Sans. I don't want to be**" Andi deleted the line. "**I need someone to talk to right now.**"

Her phone, after waiting a few seconds, began to ring, and she hurried to answer it. There were no doors to block the sound from reaching Alphys, making her have to keep her voice as low as possible. "Sans?"

"what happened?" His voice was tired, but alert. "where are you?"

"Crashed at Alphys' place for the night. Frisk is upstairs asleep," she explained. "I... I, um..."

"nightmare?" She nodded, though Sans couldn't see it.

"What about you? I didn't wake you up, did I?" She hadn't given much thought about that, if he was asleep or not. After all he did for them with Undyne, he was probably exhausted too.

"nah. couldn't sleep." Couldn't sleep. Somehow... she didn't really believe that. _Resets and saves gave him trouble too, right? _What were the chances that they affected his sleeping habits? "wanna talk about it?"

Did she? "I... I don't know. It was so... real. L-like I was right there." Andi rested against the back of the desk, one arm crossed over her knees and the other holding the phone to her ear, hidden behind her hair. "And yet I-I..."

"hey. hey. check your breathing, okay?" Andi inhaled sharply, realizing that in her stress, she forgot how. _Breathe, Andi. Breathe. _Her heartbeat was still on the fast side, but she took deep inhales to steady herself, holding the air before giving exhaling for several seconds. "there ya go."

"Sans, can you just... just talk to me. Please. A-about anything." If she couldn't bring herself to explain what she saw, in fear she would also stress Sans out at the same time, then she hoped he would jump on that suggestion.

"alright... tell me about you and the kid. what was growing up on the surface like?" She gives a small smile, thankful that he took the offer.

"W-well, it could be better. I grew up with Charles and Lois, my foster parents for... how long has it been now?" She was twenty-four, approaching her birthday, and if she chose to include the years when she didn't live with them anymore... "thirteen years. I was there for four of them until Frisk joined us."

"thirteen, huh? so you were eleven," Sans concluded, doing the math in his head.

"Yeah. They were family f-friends, so when... they quickly stepped forward s-so I could stay in Ebott." She didn't speak often about the time she got into the foster system. Despite that was what the Jennings family were, they were as much family as her biological mother and father were.

"if you've left ebott, then you wouldn't have met frisk." Silence. "... how'd you meet her, anyway?"

"Frisk? It's not much of a story, I'm afraid. Lois came home one day while Charles was helping me with my homework, with a baby only a few months old. That's it, really. Frisk and I, along with any children that had passed through the house over the years, never openly discussed why we were there. Some... didn't have good stories." Her breathing had begun to slow down, and Andi let her legs slowly slide forward. "I stuck around after turning eighteen, no longer old enough for the system, because I grew attached to her. Frisk, she didn't... have many friends. I helped out as she grew, watched her milestones, and I just..." a soft smile crept over her, a thankful change from the tearful and scared one from not long ago. "She's my sister, Sans." _No matter how._

Sans didn't answer, and she wondered if he was letting the tale sink in. Or... "did you fall asleep?"

"no. i'm still here. you know, the kid, she... she never really talked much about her life before she fell down here." Andi almost dropped the phone at the reply, the farthest thing she expected to hear was a confirmation of Frisk's multiple times in the Underground. _I... I was right. I was right all along. _"i knew about the foster parents, sure, but everything else, she kept to herself." A pause, and while faint, she could hear him mumble something under his breath, the words lost to her ears.

Frisk... she had been there. There were times in the Underground she was not aware of, due to the... resets and loads. "andi? are you still awake?"

"I'm... y-yeah. I am." Her hand lowered the phone a bit, mind picking up speed. The thoughts, the ones she could vaguely remember before falling asleep... how much truth was in those? That Flowey... that Frisk... h-how accurate was... her nightmare? _Frisk... did you... did you really... kill people? _A wave of cold washed over her, and she shivered violently. She felt sick again.

"andi? andi, are you there?" The deep voice rattled through the speakers, but she paid no attention to it. "ands, answer. are you okay?"

Ands? That was a new one. "I-I don't... I don't feel like talking anymore." But she didn't want to hang up, no. No, she-she didn't want to be left alone. "Sans, c-can I... can I just keep you on the phone? Please?"

"... alright. try and get some shuteye though." Her head drooped forward, and she shuffled into a corner, keeping the phone resting on her collarbone while her arms dropped.

"I'll try... thank you, Sans. You've been... doing a go-" she yawned, her disturbed sleep finally catching up to her. "-od job at keeping your promise."

"my promise?" A pause. "heh... guess this does count, doesn't it?" She could almost feel the smile coming through the speaker. "night, andi."

"Good... night, sans."

* * *

Alphys and Frisk were definitely surprised when they came downstairs, finding Andi snacking on an apple waiting for them. The woman grinned at them, noticeable circles under her eyes, and waved. "Morning."

"A-Andi? Did you get any-?" She cut Alphys off.

"Sleep? No. Woke up from a bad dream, didn't want to disturb the kid so I came down here. I only went back up to grab something to eat and my shoes." Her hiking boots were back where they belonged, and the fruit was almost gone. "I did pass out for two more hours, so I have that going for me."

"Andi," Frisk sighed.

"Yeah, sorry about that, Frisk. Don't worry. I'm feeling much better now." She stood up, stretching her back and tossing the core into the garbage can by the desk. "I'll run up and grab the bag." Andi walked past, pausing to ruffle Frisk's hair along the way. She didn't miss the slight frown on her face as she went, stepping onto the activated escalator without looking back.

Feeling better? Far from it. She needed Frisk to fess up **now**. No more dodging the questions. When they met up with Sans again, that was it. No more hiding, else she'd lose her mind over it. Once she did... what then? If she feared the worst, and it seemed likely every time she thought it over, how would that change her view of Frisk? "Frisk is... she's not a murderer," she whispered stubbornly, entering the room and snatching the bag off the floor. She detached the hiking pole, sliding her hand through the strap. "She's not." _She can't be._

No matter how much she repeated it though, a seed of doubt remained, sprouting with each repetition.

"G-good luck!" Alphys called as she came back through the room, tossing the other apple to Frisk before getting to work on tying her hair up. The child caught it, sinking her teeth into the juicy flesh happily. There weren't any fruits underground from what they've seen, so the change in food was a blessing. "I-I'll keep you two updated on the t-traps when you get close!"

"Thanks, Alphys!" The door at the far end of the lab slid open once they got close enough, a rush of hot air blasting into their faces. Walking out into the hot land of Hotland, Andi turned to give a final glance at the building, and let herself turn slowly to look upwards in the direction they were headed. Hotland rose up, platforms getting higher and higher with elevators scattered about.

_Just like my... dream. _A ringing came from her pocket, and she fished out the phone. _Alphys made a post. _"**Alphys updated status: just realized I didn't watch Undyne fight the humans**," she read from the phone. "It's followed by some face made with some symbols." Frisk smiled at the text, and the two began to head out. Another chime echoed through the air, not even taking a few steps after the first one. "**Well I know she's unbeatable I'll ask her about it later**."

"**F****or now I gotta call up the humans and guide them**." _How many posts is she going to be doing throughout this whole thing, anyway? _"Might be a good idea to figure out how to mute notifications," she said to herself, sticking the phone away." Frisk took the lead in walking over to two moving sidewalks, jets of green steam shooting into the air below. The determined child jumped onto the left one, taking off before Andi could step on. "Hey, wait up!"

Laughing, Andi followed after her, the sudden movement almost knocking her off her feet. Once she reached the end, the phone gave another ring. "**Gonna call them in a minute**!" Frisk leapt onto another moving sidewalk, the turns twisting around the layout of the rocks beneath, as her guardian jumped on right behind. Hurrying forward upon reaching the end, Andi dashed across the bridge of pipes, seeing Frisk reach the welcoming sight of a save point. **The ****whooshing**** sound of steam and cogs… it fills you with determination.**

"Wow." Andi looked over the edge of the rocky platform, giving a whistle. "That's a lot of lava." The dinged again. "**I hate using the phone I don't want to do this lmao**." The words came out in a rush, and she noticed Frisk giving her an odd look. "She didn't put any periods."

The rest of the pass was different than what they had already seen. Several vents blew warm air into the room, with rotating arrows indicating a direction in where they were pointed. "Alrighty, then." Andi could take the chance in jumping, but compared to water, lava was... well, she wasn't stupid. She knew the save points, as painful their purpose was, would keep her safe, but she'd rather not take the risk. She stood on top of the grate as the current gust of wind died down, and gave a startled shout as she was thrown over the lava to the next platform, landing shakily on her legs. "Whoa! Ha ha! Frisk, hurry up!"

"Coming!" Frisk launched herself over, landing in the woman's outstretched arms. "Thanks."

"No problem. How about I go first, and you follow after?" Andi motioned to the other vents in the room. That way, she could assist in catching her upon liftoff.

"Okay." The two continued across the vents, almost reaching the end when the phone let out a ding. "**Omg I'm just gonna do it I'm just gonna call!**" As long as it wasn't during an actual trap, Alphys could call whenever. Andi didn't mind.

They reached the end of the area, when the cell began to ring. "That must be Al-" the phone stopped, Andi's hand hovering over it in her pocket. "I... guess she hung up?" _Maybe it's bad reception. _Ignoring the reason, she followed Frisk to the next area, finding her staring down a series of blue and orange lasers. "That's... different." _Blue means stop, right? So what does orange do?_

The phone began to ring, and this time, she was quick to answer it. "Uhh! H-hi, so, the blue lasers..." Alphys began. "Uhh! I mean, Alphys here! Hi! The blue lasers won't hurt you if you don't move! O-orange ones, um… y-you have to be moving, and they… um, they won't, um… move through those ones! Uhh, bye!" The phone clicked, not letting the two get a word in.

"Bit nervous, isn't she?" Another ding, but considering the trial ahead of her, Andi chose to ignore it. She tightened the red ribbon, making sure that her hair wouldn't fall in her face. "Alright. Are you ready, Frisk?"

Frisk started at the lasers, determination clear in her eyes. "Ready." With a grin, the girls took off running across the pipes and through the orange lasers. The heat passed innocently through their torsos, not picking them up. When the blue lasers got close, sliding back and forth, they screeched to a halt, stopping just quick enough to avoid getting zapped. The steps continued, sprinting and stopping, until the two reached the end.

"Ha ha! Perfect!" Andi cheered, giving Frisk a grin. Frisk pressed a button on a large grey pipe next to her, and with a loud click, the lasers deactivated. "Okay. This way."

Taking a left turn, Andi's adrenaline and joy at the puzzle slowed as they neared a crossroad with vents leading to different directions. The phone began ringing again, and she pulled it out. "What is it this time, Alphys?"

"Th… the northern door will stay locked until you… s-solve on the right and left! I… I think you sh-should g-g-go to the right first!"

"Okay. Thanks." She hung up, and they headed towards the right path, letting the vents carry them over once again. A blue laser prevented them from moving further. "Huh."

"Alphys! Here! Th-that blue laser seems totally impassable! B-b-but! As the Royal Scientist, I h-have some tricks up my sleeve! I'll h-hack into th-the Hotland laser database and take it out!" With a click, the call ended, and true to her words, so did the laser's power.

"Thank you, Alphys." Two monster girls waved to them as they passed by, and entered the door to the right. "How do we handle this?" Andi stared at the puzzle, her mind going back to an old shooting game. A gun that resembled something from laser tag was mounted to the balcony they stood on. A large white hollow square sat in front of them in the dark room, with several white blocks moving around.

"We have two shots to hit the spaceship on the other side," Frisk said, reading a scrap piece of paper off to the side. She moved over to her, and took control of the gun. She waited patiently for the blocks to align themselves, and took a shot at one of the cubes, revealing a machine behind them. She fired again, and destroyed the object. A bell rang out in the dark room, signalling their success.

"Nice, kid. Let's go do the next puzzle." Andi patted the kid on the back, and headed towards the left side. The game was much easier than the other side, with only two moving blocks. Andi took a hold of the console, and effortlessly destroyed the ship on the other side. "Heh. Child's play."

"Hey, you had the easy one," Frisk complained. Andi laughed at her pouting face, retreating to the northern entrance. Two metal doors, each with a glowing green light, began to slide open, letting them pass through.

"Whatever you say, Frisk... oh." Andi stared at the long line of rocky pedestals, the lava flowing along underneath them. There was no room for stepping off the vents, meaning that they had to be precise in how they landed in order to get to the other side. "Ooh, boy." The phone began ringing, and while they were ignoring the constant status updates, the calls were much more important.

"Uhhh, I think… um… hey! About the puzzles on the left and right…! They're a bit difficult to explain, but… uhhh, you already s-solved them?"

"Yeah, we did. It wasn't that hard, Alphys," Andi told her. "Try to have a little more faith in us than that. Though, the paper instructions were a help."

"I-I forgot about those, hehe. Got it. I-I'll try to let you t-two figure things out. J-just let me know if you get stuck. I-I'll keep f-following along." Hanging up, Frisk walked over to the edge of the cliff, and knocked a small rock into the lava.

"It's not that hard," Andi said, her voice going up a pitch at the end. "Just flying across broiling magma dozens of feet in the air. We've already done it before." She joined her by the vent. "How hard could this be- ahhhhh!" A strong gust of wind flung the adult across to the next the vent, the rough action repeating until she landed roughly on the smooth tiles on the over side. "Ooh, that hurt."

"Wait for me!" She didn't have time to move, and Frisk plowed into her, knocking her face-first into the ground. "Sorry."

"I'm... less okay." Andi stood back up, rubbing the back of her neck, and looked behind her at the stone spires. The arrows didn't rotate, leaving it a path they could only take once. _Good. I don't want to go through that again._

"This way." Frisk stopped in front of a large metal door built into the side of the cliff, and opened it with a strong push. Andi joined her, feeling the temperature take on a cooler feel once she closed the door. The room was completely dark, and she couldn't see anything in front of her. _Still, if the air is cooler, that means we're inside a building, right? _

Thankfully, Alphys chose that time to call, and Andi wasted no time in answering. "H-hey, it's kind of dark in there, isn't it? Don't worry! I'll hack into the light system and brighten it up!" A loud click followed, and Frisk and Andi found themselves standing in a kitchen, blinking back the sudden bright lights. "Oh no."

Mettaton slowly came up from a platform next to them on the other side of the counter, a chef's hat placed on his head. "OHHH YES! WELCOME, BEAUTIES, TO THE UNDERGROUND'S PREMIER COOKING SHOW!"

_Aw, heck no! _Andi thought angrily, hearing Alphys abruptly hang up. She had thought, although briefly, that they were done with the strange robot. _Apparently not. _

"PRE-HEAT YOUR OVENS, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A VERY SPECIAL RECIPE FOR YOU TODAY! WE'RE GOING TO BE MAKING… A CAKE! MY LOVELY ASSISTANTS HERE WILL GATHER THE INGREDIENTS. EVERYONE GIVE THEM A BIG HAND!" Applause came out from the robot as he clapped along, confetti raining from the ceiling and onto the girls. Andi picked the pieces of paper out of her hair, and glared at the robot.

"WE'LL NEED SUGAR, MILK, AND EGGS. GO FOR IT, SWEETHEART!" Mettaton directed the end towards the woman, who only sneered in response. On TV or not, she would rather avoid playing along with his strange games. _Suddenly, I miss Papyrus' bridge puzzle._

Frisk must have gotten the hint that she was not budging, and quickly ran to grab the ingredients from the shelf behind them. She placed the items on the island counter next to Mettaton, smiling. "How's that?"

"PERFECT! GREAT JOB, BEAUTIFUL!" Mettaton praised. "WE'VE GOT ALL OF THE INGREDIENTS WE NEED TO BAKE THE CAKE! MILK… SUGAR… EGGS… OH MY! WAIT A MAGNIFICENT MOMENT! HOW COULD I FORGET! WE'RE MISSING THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT!" _What's that? Flour? _Slowly, Mettaton pulled out a chainsaw from underneath the table, lifting it up so the girls and the camera across from them could see it clearly. His screen was pure red, scaring Andi enough to yank Frisk backwards by the collar of her shirt and holding her hiking pole up in defense. "A HUMAN SOUL!"

"Seriously?" She shrieked as the robot revved the chain saw, turning in their direction. Mettaton started towards them, the adult ready to lash out with her equipment, when he began ringing.

"HELLO…?" Mettaton asked, speakers filled with annoyance at being interrupted. "I'M KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING HERE."

"W-wait a second!" Alphys cried. "Couldn't you make a… couldn't you use a… couldn't you make a substitute in the recipe!?"

Mettaton turned off the chainsaw to their relief, but still kept a grip on its handle. "… A SUBSTITUTION? YOU MEAN, USE A DIFFERENT, NON-HUMAN INGREDIENT? … WHY?" _Why? Gee, how about the fact no monster down here eats people!?_

"Uhh, what if someone's… vegan?" Alphys' voice was weak, possibly as disturbed by the show's turn as Andi was.

"… VEGAN."

"Uh, well, I mean-"

"THAT'S A BRILLIANT IDEA, ALPHYS!" The chainsaw was dropped onto the floor, and Frisk stepped back to avoid the slowly spinning teeth. "ACTUALLY, I HAPPEN TO HAVE AN OPTION RIGHT HERE! MMT-BRAND ALWAYS-CONVENIENT HUMAN-SOUL-FLAVOR-SUBSTITUTE! A CAN OF WHICH… IS JUST OVER ON THAT COUNTER!" They all looked over, and saw a red can sitting on a counter by the exit, outside of the kitchen set. "WELL, DARLINGS? WHY DON'T YOU GO GET IT?"

"Alright!" Frisk said, still playing along. She ran over towards the can, leaving Andi with Mettaton. _Dang it, Frisk. Why'd you leave me here with him?_

She shot a look at the robot, pole still held in the air. "Don't even think about it."

"DARLING, YOUR BEHAVIOR WON'T CHANGE A THING, YOU KNOW," He said casually, ignoring the threat with practiced ease. "IN FACT, IT IS QUITE INTERESTING TO WATCH. NOT MANY PEOPLE IN THE UNDERGROUND HAVE SPIRIT SUCH AS YOURS."

_Spirit? _Did he mean standing up for herself? Or was it a spunk that he was talking about? Either way, while her view of Mettaton was not great, she did offer a small smile at the compliment. "Um, thanks, I guess." A loud noise came from where Frisk went, and the three watched as the counter with the substitute started rising up towards the ceiling.

"BY THE WAY," Mettaton said as he and Andi rolled and walked over to the young girl. "OUR SHOW RUNS ON A STRICT SCHEDULE. IF YOU CAN'T GET THE CAN IN THE NEXT ONE MINUTE… WE'LL JUST HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL PLAN! SO… BETTER START CLIMBING, BEAUTIFUL!" His wheel retracted, and in a burst of flames, he flew to the top of the steadily rising tower.

"Any ideas, Frisk?" Andi asked, staring upwards. "Because I got nothing." Climbing would be futile, as even with the counter coming to a halt, it was still far too high up to reach in time.

The phone rang, and Frisk quickly yanked it away from Andi when she brought it out. "Oh no! There's not enough time to climb up! F-f-fortunately, I might have a plan! When I was upgrading your phone, I added a few… features. You see that huge button that says… jet pack? Watch this!" A loud clicking sound came from the phone as Frisk pressed said button, and it lifted into the air over her head. The phone's mechanics started shifting around, and a red and yellow jet pack dropped down into her arms.

"A jet pack," Andi breathed. Now things were getting interesting. _If it wasn't for the barrier, I'd say we could fly ourselves out of the hole in the Ruins._

"There! You should have just enough fuel to reach the top!" Alphys' voice rang from the machine, while Frisk hurried to put it on, snapping the buckles into place. "Now, get up there!"

"Right!" Frisk shouted, gripping the handles. Pressing down on a button on the right handle, the girl took off in a burst of smoke. Coughing from the fumes, Andi stepped back, leaning her head at an uncomfortable angle to watch the child blast towards her goal. In the meantime, Mettaton hurled the ingredients Frisk had gathered for him, at an attempt to slow her down.

It didn't work. Frisk was quick to swerve out of the way of the food. Herself, on the other hand, had to dodge the falling eggshells and torrents of spilled milk. "Hey!" Arms over her head, she dashed towards the kitchen set, yolks decorating the tiles where she previously stood.

Several heart-pounding seconds later with more baking ingredients tossed, Frisk slowed down as she reached the top. "MY MY. IT SEEMS YOU'VE BESTED ME. BUT ONLY BECAUSE YOU HAD THE HELP OF THE BRILLIANT DOCTOR ALPHYS! OH, I LOATHE TO THINK OF WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO YOU WITHOUT HER! WELL, TOODLES!" Mettaton flew away from Frisk and the tower, but came back just as quickly. "OH YES! ABOUT THE SUBSTITUTION… HAVEN'T YOU EVER SEEN A COOKING SHOW BEFORE? I ALREADY BAKED THE CAKE AHEAD OF TIME!"

"So Frisk did all of that for nothing!?" Andi shouted from far below them, stepping around the mess the robot left in his wake.

"EXACTLY, BEAUTIFUL!" He yelled back at her before flying off. Frisk gently flew back down to the floor, the jet pack snapping back into its phone shape once her boots made contact.

"How's that?" She handed the phone back to Andi, who slid it into her pocket.

"Dangerous," Andi stated. It was crazy, and dangerous. "Though, and I hate to say it, but Mettaton's starting to grow on me." Frisk giggled at the backhanded compliment, and to no surprise, the phone began ringing. "Yeah, Alphys?"

"Wow! We… we did it!" She said happily. "We… we really did it! Great job out there, team!"

"Thanks, Alphys," Andi replied. She didn't really do anything, but the thought was nice. "But we couldn't have done it without you, y'know. The jet pack idea was ingenious."

"Th-thanks, Andi! W-well, uh, anyway, let's keep heading forward!" The phone clicked, and she put it away again.

"This way," Frisk said, gesturing for her to follow. Outside of the studio, the girls stood on the opposite side of a massive piece of machinery in the middle of the sea of lava. Its pipes pierced the ceiling, and even from their distance, they could see gears turning and jets of hot steam sprouting from its uneven surface. A save point sat glowing right in front of them, a thankful checkpoint. Frisk tapped it, and grinned at her guardian. **An ominous structure looms in the distance… you're filled with determination.**

"You bet we are," Andi said as the message flashed in their heads. _That voice... who are they? _Why was it that only they could hear it? Was it similar to the save points, a creation only they could interact with? _Sans knows about them, but I don't think he can actually see the stars. _Perhaps Frisk knew the answer to that too...

The phone rang, like clockwork, and she picked up. "S-see that building in the distance? That's the Core. The source of all power for the Underground. It converts geothermal energy into magical electricity, by… uhh, anyway, that's where we're going to go."

"I take it the Core leads to the exit of the Underground?" Andi asked while they walked, keeping an eye on the looming structure. Monsters had built that? From what Alphys said, that would've required some major help. Even with her brains, multiple hands would have been needed to create such a feat.

"Yes! In the Core is an elevator directly to Asgore's castle. And from there… you two can go home." Alphys hung up, words trailing off at the end, and left the girls along once again.

"Home?" Andi repeated. They were... that close?

"In here." Frisk led them to the elevator at the end, pressing the button to open its doors. Throwing a look at the Core, she stepped inwards, the door closing behind her. "Andi? Are you okay?" Frisk looked away from the button panel after making her selection, seeing the older human's face. "Andi?"

"I..." was she? Ignoring her haunted thoughts about Frisk, was she ready to leave the Underground so quickly? She wanted to get out, to return home and get on with her life. To return to her job, help out around the house. All normal, everyday things. _Now though... what is normal? _Normal was magical barriers, visible souls with colors that matched their personalities. Normal was puzzles dealt out by monsters. Monsters. They existed, and while some were dangerous, there were some who were the greatest people they'd ever met. Alphys, Papyrus, Sans, Toriel. How could they leave them, all of them, buried under the earth while they enjoyed the Surface. The fresh air, the sight of a setting sun over the tree tops. "Frisk, there's... there must be a way to break the barrier, right?" Andi looked down at Frisk, and smiled brightly. "Then if we can... let's do it. Let's... let's free the Underground."

* * *

**Until next time!**

**Angel**


	13. Secrets and Promises

**Disclaimer: Time to answer some of what's been hidden.**

**serioushugsies: Perhaps. The complete truth won't be revealed until later though. I've actually almost finished writing all of the chapters. Got a little too ahead.**

**I don't own Undertale**

"Speaking"

_Thinking_

**Saving**

* * *

"That's... a big thing," Frisk noted as the elevator came to a stop. The doors opened, and they stepped out onto the next floor, back into the heat of Hotland. "How do you think you can do that?"

How... did she think she could manage that? "No idea," Andi replied, a little taken aback herself. "But with how strange and magical this underworld is, I'm sure I'll stumble across the answer at some point." It was a foolish idea, really. The words were just... thrown out there, without a second thought. Breaking a barrier that had stood for centuries, it was insane-but... she knew, somehow... they could do it. _Is... is this what that determination trait's like? When something's impossible, yet you keep on pushing through? _"Hmm... hey, Sans."

The dirt path had widened, and the skeleton looked up from his sentry station. A small monster resembling a volcano ran past them, a hot dog in its possession. "hey, girls. what's up?" Sans asked with a pleased grin. He didn't say anything aloud, but Andi could tell he was relieved in her attitude. Compared to several hours ago, she felt a lot better. _Well... kind of better. _

"Nothing much. Just thinking of plans for the future," she answered. Specifically, his and the other monsters' future.

"plans, huh? well, good luck with that." He looked over the counter and grinned down at Frisk. "wanna buy a hot dog, squirt? it's only 30G."

"Okay, Sans," she said. Frisk grabbed the coins from the bag, catching the few that spilled from the pocket before they hit the dirt and rolled away, and handed them over to him with a wide grin.

"thanks, kid. here's your 'dog." Seeing Andi's confused face as Frisk's hand wrapped around the steamed bun, he explained. "yeah, 'dog. apostrophe-dog. it's short for hot dog."

"Clever." The two fell silent while Frisk happily dug into the food. A line of ketchup had already been applied, though she could see other condiments in the back where Sans' grill station was set up. _No doubt from previous times. He must already know her preference. _Previous times... _h__mm. _"Hey, Sans? Is it okay if I speak to you for a moment?" She had both of their attention now, Frisk pausing mid-bite. "Frisk, you can keep going. I can catch up."

"heh. sure thing, pal." He winked at Frisk, still stunned by the sudden request. "don't worry, kiddo. i'll have her join you before you know it." Frisk, only two bites away from finishing her 'dog, slowly nodded. "alright, then. you better get goin'. don't want to have the royal guards catchin' wind of you two runnin' around."

"R-right..." she shoved the food into her mouth, threw the older human an almost apologetic look, and began to jog towards the elevator at the end of the platform. "Mater, Mendi."

"I hope she's fine with the lack of healing items." Frisk probably didn't even think twice about the bag, only wanting to get out of there before the conversation started. Besides, they were only going to be apart for a little bit. What could happen? "So, uh... what happened after I passed out?" She asked, once she was certain Frisk wouldn't hear them. _Just to be sure. _"Anything important?"

"nah. waited half an hour before hanging up. just wanted to be sure that you were fine." Andi smiled at that. Even though he never gave an exact answer, she wondered if Sans had went through the same thing as her. Nightmares, waking up in a panic, and couldn't fall asleep again. "don't plan on tellin' me what it was about?"

"Later, perhaps... honestly, once we all sit down to discuss what you and the kid have been hiding from me, then I'll make my decision then." Sans' grin tensed at the reminder, and she felt a little guilty at bringing it up. She couldn't help it. She had to know sooner or later. Something of this magnitude, kept secret, would only end up putting a wedge between her and Frisk. _Right now, after last night, that wedge is getting bigger._

Sans moved out from behind the sentry station. "still set on that, huh?"

"Of course." He didn't seem shocked, more bothered than anything. "At the same time... despite having to leave the Underground, I feel... I don't like the idea of leaving you all behind." She put away the hiking pole, frowning. "There's people waiting for us, but at the same time, we've made a lot of friends down here and knowingly leaving them behind, stuck under the Earth's crust... I don't think I can live with myself at the idea." _That's why I want to find a way to pull it off. _Before they got to the barrier, she wanted to see about any possible options. Talk to people, look around.

"... then why not stay down here? you and the kid?" The frown dropped, her face turning into a confused expression at the question. _Did I hear that right? _Stay? In the Underground? "well, you've got food, drink, friends. stuff you've already had on the surface. is all of this... really worth it?" She did. She did hear it correctly.

"Worth-of course it is, Sans." The question stunned her, how the skeleton was doubting her efforts, everything she and Frisk had been striving for for the past few days. "Yeah, there's all of that, but I still have the friends up there. My foster family, my students, and... and the sky, Sans. Sun, and wind, and... and stars." Not the glowing crystals in Waterfall, but actual stars, billions of light-years away. Laying out in the grass, under the cool night sky, watching them slowly pass by far above your head. "I have to get Frisk out of here, for her sake, and mine."

Sans eye lights darkened, a change she almost missed had she not been staring at him head-on. "i see... welp. i won't stop you, ands." He patted her shoulder, and she felt herself tense under the bony appendage. Sans raised a brow bone at the action, and she mentally kicked herself. _Curse that nightmare. _It felt... similar. The location they were at, and how she had tried to reach for him, only to have her hand phase through his hoodie and everything it covered. "... c'mon. let's get you back to your sis."

He went to grab for her hand, not letting her say another word on the matter. It was still strange, touching bone. She could feel the dips and curves of the different sections connecting, yet they showed no signs of breaking apart without tissues and muscles holding them together. "hang on." She tightened her grip, and with a chuckle, Sans teleported them away.

Her vision blackened, and she felt her feet make contact with the red dirt, briefly being pulled out from underneath her. "I am never gonna get used to that," she said, letting go and readjusting her bag. The two stood at the bottom of a flight of stairs, the ice cream bunny happily handing an armful of treats to two members of the Royal Guard. "Where's-?"

"I... am very... tired of... Mettaton." Looking down the ramp ahead of them, Frisk trudged forward. Beads of sweat stained her forehead, and rose petals stuck out from her crumpled hair. Her clothes looked singed, and the strong smell of oranges radiated from her; clothes, and skin. "What… have you two... been up to?"

"Nothing compared to what you've obviously been through." Andi reached forward, plucking the flowers and the odd strand of cobwebs from her. "We only were separated for fifteen minutes, give or take a few. What could've happen in that short amount of time?"

"Muffet, and... Mettaton puzzles." Frisk sneezed, the smell of the flowers and fruit irritating her nose. "Two of them. The tile puzzle was difficult."

"i can see that," Sans noted, before glancing at Andi. "muffet's a spider monster. tries to scam monsters so she can care for the other spiders in the underground." _Oh. At least... it was for a good cause?_ "hey, kid... it's, uh... it's time." Frisk blinked, the vague statement not registering. "to tell the truth."

"Truth? What do you-oh. Oh..." if the girl wasn't droopy then, she definitely was now. Sans' statement made her shrink away from the older human, though her eyes were much more awake. Full of attention, and awareness. Frisk looked from the skeleton to Andi, who nodded in agreement. _I think we __might've __broke__n__ her. _"I... n-now?" She asked, eyes silently begging for her guardian to not give her approval.

"Now," she echoed, tone firm. Inside, Andi's stomach was doing somersaults. Cartwheels. This was it. The truth was about to be thrown into the open, and no matter what, she was going to listen to it. _Sorry, Frisk. But time's up._

"... I hoped it'd be later," Frisk sighed, arms wrapping around herself. Sans patted her head, and headed in the direction of the stairs by the Nice Cream cart. Wordlessly, as if being lead to her grave, the child followed along behind him, Andi bringing up the rear. _Whoa. Talk about a temperature change. _She didn't just mean the atmosphere surrounding the small group. They were far enough up that the lava didn't affect the air, still leaving it dry, but not as insufferable as it was before. In front of them, a tall grey brick building stood, a red carpet leading to the inside with an orange and white checkered canopy over the door. "A hotel?"

"this way." She turned, seeing Sans and Frisk walking towards an alleyway off to the side. "i know a shortcut." Andi copied Frisk, snatching onto Sans' sleeve instead of his hand, and had the world vanish from her sight for a second. When reality came into focus, they were instead the hotel's restaurant, standing in front of a table at the back, away from what few monsters were already in there. "get comfy, girls."

The table only had two chairs, one on either side, leaving Andi to pick up one and carry it over. Sans and Frisk had already sat down. The only light, besides the flickering bulbs mounted on the wall, came from the candle centerpiece. Utensils were laid out, as were menus, but it did not appear as though they were going to be ordering anything anytime soon. "well... here we are." Sans sank into his chair with a sigh, propping his chin in his hand and looked between the two. "so. your journey's almost over, huh? you must really wanna go home." Frisk squirmed in her seat, avoiding the monster's stare. "heh. sorry to say, but there's not much of a point goin' over stuff you already know. however, that doesn't mean it isn't important to repeat." He focused on Andi. "you wanna know everything, no matter how painful it is."

"What... whatever you two have seen, I... I need to know." Her hands, resting on her lap, gripped the fabric of her tank top. _Guess I have to repeat it all again, since Frisk is here... __sorry, Frisk... again. _"I know about resets, that... that Frisk has been down here before, and yet she-you refuse to say how. O-or why. If I can recall loads, the only reason I was unaware of them before was because I was never here. I was never in the Underground, and that power hadn't been awakened." Was it a power? Frankly, it seemed more of a curse if anything. "I know about the barrier's creation, how this entire decision-to kill any human that fell down here-all started by an accident with two children, a monster and a human." Her fingers relaxed, and she looked up. "What I don't understand is why didn't any of you say anything from the beginning? How come you didn't tell me Frisk went through here before? Why did you keep coming back, a-and... and why am I here to begin with?"

That was the big question. If Frisk, pacifist or... otherwise, went through there before, what made this time different? Why'd she take her to Mount Ebott, and drag her down with her? "Why, Frisk? Why'd you do all of this?"

"heh... sorry to say this, but i don't really have all the answers." Her head snapped in Sans' direction. "if anyone's gonna know that, why you're down here... it's you." Together, they honed in on the child, and Frisk shuffled deeper into herself, looking like she wanted her sweater to swallow her whole and take her away from that moment.

"I... p-please, Andi, wh-whatever I say, d-don't hate me." Frisk's voice had gone quiet, stuttering out the words. "Please..."

Hate her? She would be extremely disappointed, yes, but outright hating her? _Frisk, what are you hiding? _"I-I won't, kid. But now's the time to talk. You don't really have much of a chance to avoid this now."

"... I know..." she sighed, closing her eyes and taking several long breaths. "... in the beginning, I went to the mountain to explore. I guess... curiosity was the reason for going to the hole. I never did see the vine. Falling down, I... I was scared. Monsters, souls, and magic; I-I didn't know what to do, and I died... a lot, trying to get back out of the mountain. Through dying, I... I learned about what the loads did, and once I reached my first ending, I... I learned about the resets."

First ending. That put the nail in the coffin. Sans had already confirmed, though it was extremely vague in her mind, that Frisk had done everything before, but this could not be refuted. Talks about resets meant nothing to hearing the absolute truth. Frisk had had this journey already.

"At first, I went back to do things I had missed along the way. Papyrus' date, answering the call about hanging out with Undyne... I've e-even m-I've brought the monsters to the Surface." _She changed her sentence midway. _Frisk looked down at her fingers, trying to count them off, while her words rushed together at the end. "I... don't remember how many times I've... gone back though. I... lost track after ten." _Ten!? _How long-when was the last time Frisk had seen her!? "I-I wanted to see the outcomes o-of everything be-because even with that perfect ending, th-there was something-some people missing. People that, no matter what I did, n-nothing seemed to work in b-bringing them with me."

Andi let the child come to a pause, the words getting difficult to get out. Did she... want to bring up her nightmare? Her hypothesis that Frisk had possibly murdered people? _N... no.__ If it doesn't come up, then I won't push for it. _The young human was struggling to get through the conversation already. She didn't need to add more to the discussion.

The tension was a bubble around them, so thick you could cut it with a knife. "There were... two people, that I could never get to that happy ending. Every choice I made, good or... bad, th-they were never there with me. I-I wanted them though, s-so I...!"

"she reset." They turned to Sans, the discussion having almost excluded him. Andi almost forgotten the skeleton entirely, being engrossed in Frisk's explanation. "dragged us back to the beginning, just to try again, and again, and again." His eye lights were dim, voice lower than usual.

"I never... I never told Sans why I kept going back. I-I didn't think it was worth it." Frisk drew her legs up onto the seat, hugging them. "The first was... you remember Flowey, right?" _How could I forget him? _Their first encounter with someone from the Underground never left her mind, lurking at the back of her mind as her journey progressed. "Well, you... you mentioned the reason why Asgore wants our souls? Flowey was... a part of that."

"Was he around during it?" Andi asked. Frisk shook her head. _No? Then how does Flowey...? Flowey? _Oh, she had to have been wrong this time. There was no way Flowey was-was the child from the story. Flowey was a flower! None of that would make any sense!

"looks like she figured it out." _Don't tell me I figured it out! How does any of it make sense, in that a monster __child __turned into that flower that almost killed us!? _Because, obviously, him being the human child would make even less sense.

"Uh-huh." Her voice was lost for a moment, her head desperately trying to figure out how it was possible. What she was still missing from the complex puzzle. "When he died, after the humans attacked him, he had just enough strength to carry the human's body back home before he... he turned to..."

"... dust," Andi uttered the word, throat as dry and dead as the answer itself. Frisk gulped, giving a nod.

"It covered the bed of flowers he stood on. Some time after that, someone... experimented on a flower. They injected it with determination, and the monster child... well, you... you saw what happened."

"Flowey is the reason we're being-but how does that work? He's alive, right? Then why is he acting like that?" He must have had his memories, right? From before he turned into a flower? What made him do a personality change, to someone who wanted to save everyone... to that? To wanting to murder them without a second thought, and encouraged such brutal actions against the monster population?

"That... he died, Andi," Frisk stressed. "Flowey doesn't have a soul. Flowey has Asriel's memories, but besides that, he doesn't have feelings anymore."

_Okay, that... certainly explains some things. Asriel, huh? _That's a nice name. "So... I take it I'm the other reason why you came back?"

If it wasn't possible, Frisk shrank even further into the ball she made. "I... I've gone through this a-a lot, and it... it wasn't right having you not with me. Every time I reset, I... I was already in the Underground. Not climbing the mountain, or even at the hole. I... I wanted you with me, Andrea. I... I don't want to b-be alone a-a-again!"

"Frisk." The child gave a hiccup, faint tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. "Hey, hey. I-it's okay. It's okay. I'm right here, aren't I?" The burden the child had been carrying finally broke, and Frisk threw herself towards the adult, clinging to her with a grip surprising for her age. "Shh... shh... it's okay, Frisk. I'm here, okay? I'm not going anywhere."

That was... unexpected. Did she really miss her that much, not being able to bring her into the Underground with her? _Then again, if Frisk's been here so many times... when was the last time she's seen me? _Days, weeks? Months...? "Listen, Frisk. Listen. I... I don't know... what happened in those resets." She stroked the girl's hair, still feeling the burnt tips from Mettaton's traps. _What was he even doing? _"... I'm not sure I really do want to know. There's... a lot you and Sans still aren't telling me." She rested her chin on Frisk's head, and glanced from her to said monster, who continued to watch without a word. "Still, I... I know that, no matter what, neither of you will fully say what happened in the past. There's a lot I'm still missing, and... it's probably best it stays that way."

It was. There could be dozens of resets, and there was no way she could have Frisk explain the details of all that she'd seen and been through. All of the joys, and horrors. Even... even if Frisk had killed... that was not who the child was. _She's not a killer. She isn't. _"Whatever happens now is up to you. Should you guys feel the need to talk about it, I'll listen. But I won't pressure you. Neither of you."

Frisk sniffled, letting go to wipe at her eyes. "Th-thank you, Andi," she stuttered, her watery complexion dying down as she gave the elder a weak smile.

"You're welcome, Frisk. I'm... glad, we got this all figured out." _Did we really, though? _Sort of. It was... progress, compared to where they stood at the beginning. Still, she would take it. _It's something._

"glad you girls got all of that taken care of." Sans' pupils were lighter, and Andi relaxed into her seat, finally releasing Frisk from the tight hug she enveloped her in. "can see you both have been wanting that talk for a while."

"Yeah... w-we did." She reached to her own eyes, checking to see if she was tearing up as well. It did clear things up, although, not as much as she would've liked. Frisk... only she could reset. _Then what about when she wanted me to save? If I can't load like she can, what was the point of it? _Perhaps... it was just a checkpoint. In her case, just to heal herself, rather than throw herself back to that moment in case something happened. _But other than that... my saving is pretty much pointless. _That... that's disappointing. "Is that all, Sans?

"that depends. there's not much more i can add, i'm afraid. talks like those... not really my forte, y'know? i can marrowly handle them." A beat, and the girls cracked grins at the pun. "on the other hand, how 'bout i tell you two a story?"

"A story?" Frisk twisted around, letting her legs drop off the seat and inching towards the edge. "Sure, I suppose," Andi said, watching her friend get comfortable. _You're eager. _"Heh. What's it about, Sans?"

"well, frisk here's heard it more than enough times, but i think one more time wouldn't hurt," he said with a wink. _That doesn't answer my question though. _"so, i'm a sentry in snowdin forest, right...?"

* * *

The snow crunched under his pink slippers, flakes sticking to the fuzzy tops as he trekked through Snowdin's woods. Under his arm, a large joke book was tucked away, a page bookmarked between the worn pages. _there we are. _His grin widened as he took in the large door of the Ruins, in all its magnificent and mysterious purple glory.

He could have just as easily practiced his jokes at his station, but he'd run the chance of Papyrus catching him. It wasn't that he didn't love his bro, but he'd never hear the end of it if he knew that's what he did half of the time; rehearsing for the next time he needed to annoy said brother. With a chuckle, Sans dropped to the snow, letting his back rest against the wood and opened the book.

"where'd i leave off...?" Flipping to where he left the bookmark, a partially soiled napkin from Grillby's, he traced the page with a finger before finding the right pun. _perfect. _Without missing a beat, he rapped his hand against the door. "knock knock?"

He paused, mimicking the wait for someone to reply. _who's there? _"cash." _cash who? _"no thanks, i'll have some peanuts though." His smile stretched a little at the clever pun, shoulders bouncing a bit, and moved to the next one below it. "knock knock?"

The puns continued, his grin humorous and relaxed as he told joke after joke to the empty air around him. His only response being the occasional whistle of the wind through the branches, blowing wisps of snow around the path in front of him. Turning to a new page, eyes twinkling at the new list, he hurried to continue. "knock knock."

"... wh-who is there?"

"ah!" Sans sprung forward, book tumbling from his lap and into the snow, thankfully on its cover. Who was that? He was certain he was the only one who ever went that far into the woods, so... behind the... door? "uh... dishes?" He replied, the answer coming out as more of a question.

"Dishes... who?" Whoever she was, the voice behind the door, was equally confused. Was she not expecting someone to be there? He definitely wasn't. Still, if he had an audience, he might as well deliver. Thus was the life of a comedian.

"dishes a very bad joke." It took a moment, but suddenly, the mysterious woman began to laugh. A shaky, but clearly happy noise, as if she hadn't heard anything that funny in ages. "heh. glad to see i've got a good audience," he quipped, more to himself. What should he do? Should he continue? _hmm. _He looked to the next joke on the list._ perfect. _"knock knock."

"Wh-who is there?" Her voice stuttered at the end, coming back from her rush of laughter.

"iva."

"Iva who?"

"iva sore hand from knocking." Just like before, the woman laughed. It was not as hysterical as it was before, but still, she enjoyed it, just as much as he did. The emotion was evident behind the wall between them, and his grin widened. What else could he do at that point but continue? Joke after joke, pun after pun. Each time, the stranger laughed, and after a while, so did he. "knock knock."

"Who's there?"

"a herd."

"A herd who?"

"a herd you were home, so i came over."

They were corny, and absolutely terrible, yet it was the most fun Sans had had in a long time. Then, as he turned to another page, the door knock came from her side. "Knock knock!" _mixin' it up now, huh?_

"who's there?" He asked, perhaps a bit too eager than he would've admitted.

"Old lady!"

"old lady who?"

"Oh! I did not know you could yodel!" A snicker, and then the skeleton broke down in laughs, his entire body rattling from them. _wow. _Needless to say, the lady knew her stuff. This was perfect. He had always wanted a pun-buddy.

It went on, and though he couldn't tell from the Underground's lightning, he knew it was getting late. Fishing out his phone, he confirmed his suspicions. "i gotta get goin'. but hey, don't suppose you'd mind if i came back?"

"I would very much enjoy it," she replied. Her voice radiated with joy. Though he couldn't see her face, he had a feeling she was smiling just as much as he was. Given that his grin was always there, that was saying something. "Around the same time, if you are able."

"sure thing. welp, see you tomorrow then." Sliding his book back under his arm, bookmark-napkin securely tucked into place, he headed back to Snowdin. It was late, and Papyrus wouldn't settle easily without his bedtime story. Well, he could, but he'd have to be pretty tired to pull that off. He stopped at the bridge before his sentry station, and threw a look back over his shoulder. Eye lights shining brightly, he turned back to his destination and teleported away.

True to his word, he went back. Again. And then again. It had became a daily routine, when the moment his shift slowed to an end, he would immediately head to the Ruins' door. Sometimes he would have to wait, sometimes she would be waiting for him, but they never missed seeing each other. She never talked about herself, but she didn't need to. He talked enough. About events in the Underground-Snowdin specifically, anything interesting that sprung up. About new jokes, items his brother had found in the Waterfall dump, or cooking. She especially loved to hear about his brother, and how the two looked out for each other. The mysterious woman had even gifted him with a recipe for a pie once, which he... promptly burnt on his first try. _heh. guess paps gets his skills from someone other than undyne._

Living in the Underground... wasn't perfect. Sure, they survived, and their population had somewhat recovered after the war-which he only knew from Gerson's stories-but he couldn't help his spirits being on the low side. It got... repetitive, after a while. Sans wouldn't deny that. But the door, and whoever stood behind it on the other side... it brought something new to his existence. Something different. Something... unpredictable.

"evenin'," he called out, dropping to the snow as he reached his destination. "sorry it took so long. the dogs were partyin' it up at grillby's and it was hard to get out." He got stuck in there, trying to reach the door, only for a drunken Doggo to reel him back in, wanting the skeleton to join their card game.

"Oh... hello," she answered. It was a little faint in volume, and Sans rose a bone brow. That was new. She usually was a lot more cheerful than that. _maybe it's been a rough day for her. _A joke should do the trick. He had been saving this one for a while, and he was rather proud of it.

He rapped his white knuckles on the door, a small but quick beat before lowering his hand. "knock knock."

"Who is there?"

"doris."

"Doris... who?"

"doris locked, that's why i'm knocking." He laughed, the joke he found quite clever. Ones that involved doors were always the best, given their situation.

"Hehe... heheheh..." her laughter... it was quiet, weak, sounding as though she had possibly been crying. His own chuckles fizzled out, and Sans was growing concerned. _not even that?_

"hey, uh, you okay?" He rested a hand on the door, turning around to look at it. He had no idea why, he couldn't see her. The action just... made it seem as though he could get close enough to comfort her.

"I... may I please... speak seriously?" Seriously? Was something wrong? What happened? _lady? _"If... if a human... ever comes through this door... c-could you please, please promise me something?" He stiffened at the mention of a human, pupils shrinking instinctively. Yesterday, an announcement had gone out, stating of the success and capturing of another soul. He never crossed paths with them, choosing to try and keep his brother out of harm's way. Papyrus, despite his admiration for the Royal Guard, did not need to witness a child being struck down. Why... else would the Royal Guard members be so excited? "Watch over them, a-and protect them... will you not?"

The watery and shaky voice struck a cord within him, and for the first time since he could remember, Sans didn't have a straight answer. His hand retracted, and rested on the white fluff underneath him. Protect a human? That was-what brought that up? What did humans have to do with anything? _is th__is__ where they all came from? _Every one, every human who had fallen into the Underground took the same route. Through Snowdin, Waterfall, Hotland, and if they were lucky, to the Capital. _eh... maybe not lucky._

If that was the case, then the woman had seen every human go by her, and no doubt, knew of their fates. Especially the... latest one. "mmm." Sans grimaced, remembering the excited chatter while at his station in Hotland, since the dogs were only given the basic details. The green soul; their body coated in burns that left their flesh a charred blackened color, their features were not even distinguishable anymore.

But besides that... gruesome thought, Sans didn't particularly like making promises. He hated them, since most of the time, it would bite him in the pelvis later on down the road. People would forget, dismiss it; many reasons he could think of, and many times had it gone south. Heck, he didn't even know her name, let alone seen her in person. Why should he care about some stranger's odd request?

... though, on the other hand... she liked bad jokes. Almost as much as he did, and someone like that... had an integrity you couldn't say no to. _heh... just like him, in a way. _Slowly, Sans stood up, turning to face the door. Resting a hand on it, he offered the door a grin. "... sure. i suppose i can do that."

He could hear her sigh, a heavy and relived noise. "Th-thank you, my friend. You have no idea how much that means to me."

"probably not, but let's not focus on that." He turned around, picking up the book, the cover coated in snow. "wanna continue?" She agreed, and he glanced upwards at the Delta Rune symbol over the door before settling back down again. The symbol of their kingdom... a promise to protect humans... he really hoped he wouldn't regret agreeing. "now then... ahem. knock knock?"

* * *

"that promise, well... that happened 'round the gap between the seventh human that fell down, and ol' frisk here. it only ever happened once, the chat, since it was before the resets began, so some details aren't as great as they might've been." Sans looked at them, giving a fond look at the memory. "but, y'know, that doesn't mean i don't try to continue my visits whenever i can."

"... you never told that version before," Frisk said.

"yeah, well... didn't think i needed to go into too much detail back then," he shrugged. "besides, andi here never heard anything before, so why not go the extra mile?"

"Given her love of puns," Andi added, thinking back to her time with Toriel. "And the fact I also said a few while in the Ruins, this doesn't surprise me as much as it should've." She took a moment, repeating Sans' story in her head. Watch over them... was that why she saw Sans watching from the treeline during their fight with Papyrus? "With those... other timelines, I take it that's why you're keeping an eye on us the entire time. Because..."

"because you really care for the kid, and as much as i hate what she's done, can't really live with myself knowin' you both got hurt doin' nothin' wrong." _Because this time, Frisk had redeemed herself. _Sans closed his sockets, letting a brief silence fill the air around them. "you're doin' well so far."

"Well, we're not out yet. We still have a ways to go to the barrier, and get that good ending." Missing steps, she recalled from Frisk's confession. She wasn't sure what they all could have been, but Frisk did. And she knew that she would help guide them along. This time, there was no more hiding. This time, it was different. _We're getting through this and taking down that barrier, and we're bringing Asriel with us. _Somehow. She wasn't sure how they'd go about doing that without having Flowey try and off them.

Keeping secrets... it was going to happen no matter what. She couldn't fight it, what Sans or Frisk chose to keep silent about. She would have to accept it, and if she did piece things together on her own, Andi did not think she would bring them up. _For their sake. _The image of Frisk's breakdown still fresh in her mind; from the one in the Ruins at the mere sight of the plastic knife she still carried in the bag, to the one just minutes ago. _I won't say a word, kid, not unless I have to._

"good luck with that. i'll be on standby, should you two need any help." Sans stood up from his chair, giving them a wink. "well, that's all." He looked at the two humans, and gave them a warm smile. "take care of yourselves, girls... 'cause someone really cares about you."

His final words delivered, he teleported out of the restaurant, and the girls remained staring where he once stood. "Heh... you too, Sans." _Sans... I think I finally get what you're agreeing to. _Back in Snowdin, a memory, something that had confused her at the time. Goodnight. Good... night. _Having a moment of peace, with laughs and friends for once... it really was a good night, wasn't it? _She wrapped an arm around Frisk's shoulders, hugging her close. "So, Frisk, ready to go and get everyone to the Surface one last time?"

Frisk flashed a toothy smile, giggling. "Always."

**You are filled with determination.**

* * *

Sans sat against the door, tracing a small pattern in the snow with his index finger. Any time now. Longer than usual, but the kid had to come out sooner or later. _c'mon. what's takin' __her__ so long? _His hand had curled back towards him, dragging his bony fingers deep in the snow and forming a misshapen ball.

Frisk was-she was just running late. That's all. A few extra days wasn't the end of the world. There was nothing to worry about. "hmm..." Sans hummed, the wait starting to get to him once again, and he leaned the side of his skull against the door. Could he hear them, if he really tried? "c'mon..."

... faint. It was faint, but... he could hear voices. _got 'em. _"What are you doing? Attack or run away!" _tori. _His soul's rapid beating slowed a little at the voice. Frisk was fighting her, and judging from the sound of it, had not laid a single blow on the former queen. He retracted his head a little, giving a deep relieved sigh, but didn't back away enough to stop hearing the conversation."What are you proving this way!?"

"That not all humans are evil? That violence isn't always the answer?" He froze in place, eyes blacking out. That... that wasn't Frisk. That wasn't her voice. It was lower, older. _who... andi? _The name popped into his head, and he hurried to plaster his head against the wood again, lights rushing back once he regained his senses. "Toriel, we won't fight you."

The hidden person sounded exhausted, tired, but confident in their words. Toriel, though, threw their feelings away, and ignored them. "Fight me or leave! Stop it! Stop looking at me that way! Go away!" Several seconds went by, and when the goat woman spoke again, it was much weaker. "I… I know you want to go home, but… but, please… go upstairs now. I promise I will take good care of you two here. I know we do not have much, but… we can have a good life here."

"Toriel." There. There she was. Frisk's tone was just like Toriel's, begging her to listen.

"Why are you two making this so d-difficult? Please, go upstairs." Pulling his hand up from the snow, he rested it against the purple door. Even with how faint everyone's words were, the broken and tearful Toriel's pleas slipping through the cracks of the aged door to meet him.

"Toriel, w-we love you. We really do. But Frisk and I can't stay here. Growing up in a place like this is not-it's not healthy. Yes, we don't have anyone waiting for us on the Surface other than a few people, but we… we have each other. Together, with your lessons, we're gonna make it out of here. I promised myself I'd keep her safe, and that's what I'm going to do." His hand slipped on the door, almost flinching at the words. Keep her safe? Well, her had to have meant Frisk. As for the speaker...

The name, he only ever heard it mentioned-what, once? Twice? It was hard to keep track of everything that the kid had done over the timelines. Andi... Frisk only recently brought the name up. Who they were, he didn't know. From the context, he almost could believe that they were a human. That was... could that be right? Did Frisk somehow actually bring another person into the Underground, instead of a monster like he originally thought would accompany them? If yes, then she somehow reset to a point that she was outside of the barrier. Back in the human village at the foot of the mountain, away from monster-kind. _why the hell would you do that? _Better yet, how did she manage to pull it off?

"Ha ha… pathetic, is it not? I cannot save even a single child. No, I understand. You two would just be unhappy trapped down here. The Ruins are very small once you get used to them. It would not be right for you to grow up in a place like this. My expectations… my loneliness… my fear… for you, my dears… I will put them aside."

With those as the last words he wanted to listen to, he brought his hand back and tucked it into his pocket, using his other hand to push himself up and back to his feet. "promised to keep her safe, huh?" He started off towards the trees, cyan light filling his socket as he gestured with two fingers inside his pocket. Snow blew across the ground, covering where his footprints were just enough that it would not lead them on. "heh. good luck with that one, pal." _whoever your friend is, kid, they have no idea what they're gettin' into. _

Slinking into the forest, he leaned against a large tree, and watched the door expectantly. "one chance, frisk. you two better be makin' it worthwhile."

* * *

**I haven't seen many chapters that focus a lot on the promise between Sans and Toriel, so I'm glad to write one out. I also feel like I felt more questions than answers as to the truth behind Andi being in the Underground.**

**Until next time!**

**Angel**


	14. Metatton of Work

**Disclaimer: I think this was one of the more difficult chapters to write, which is why it took a while to post. The Core itself is weird to plan out, and it took some time to figure out how to write it. In the end, I think this all went well.**

**I don't own Undertale.**

"Speaking"

_Thinking_

"**Reading**"

**Saving**

* * *

The Core.

From what Andi had gathered, once they were past that, it was the Capital that was left. Once there, they would meet with Asgore, and reach the barrier that locked monsters on one side, and humanity on the other. Staring up at the hulking machinery at the wooden bridge that connected it to the hotel, she gave a low whistle at the sight. "Impressive." Jets of steam burst through cracks, and far below the bridge, she could hear the churning of lava.

"Metatton is waiting for us." She didn't look down at Frisk, but nodded at her statement. She figured as much. Almost every area they had passed through, there was... something like a boss fight they had gone through. In the Ruins, it was Toriel. Snowdin, it was Papyrus, and in Waterfall it was Undyne. Metatton representing Hotland did not surprise her that much. _Which means Asgore represents the Capital... who's the final boss? _She... didn't want to think about that. "Ready?"

"Let's roll." They began to walk across the railing, decorated with winding lights that circled around the wooden railings, before halting just as quickly. Two monsters, their forms darkened from standing just far enough inside the Core, were watching them. They paused, seeing they had been spotted, and took off into the machine. "Frisk?"

The phone rang, and Andi took it out to bring Alphys onto speaker. Though she could have let Frisk keep it, after the baking puzzle, she left better having it on hand. "Huh? Who are they? N-nobody else is supposed to be here... oh well! We can't worry about that now!"

"It's the way to the Capital, right? Maybe others are using it in order to get there," she suggested as they continued forward. Cavern walls and lava rivers vanished around them, replaced with dark blue metallic walls covered in circuits. Two hallways branched off on either side, with a single white door in the middle. _Elevator. _"Here we go." She handed the phone to Frisk, and went to press the button. _It's... not pushing in. _Her finger pressed the up arrow, holding it for several seconds, and sighed. "Alphys, it's stuck."

"Stuck?" She asked. "The elevator should be working... w-well then! Let's go to the left! F-Frisk, keep me on speaker. That way, w-we can maintain contact m-more easily!"

"Okay." Andi looked from the left path to the right. "There's two paths we could take. Alphys, which one leads further into the Core?"

"Y-you'll want to take the left path," she replied. _Got it. _Frisk took the lead, Andi bringing up the rear. It should be relatively straightforward. Navigate the Core, possibly encounter Metatton one last time, and then reach the Capital. No sweat, ri-?

"Andi!" She stared at the monster in front of them. A court jester in appearance, with no arms, and two glowing orbs floating around their head. "Madjick." Frisk tossed her the phone, their souls being pulled into view. "Stare at the orbs."

"Okay." She wasn't sure how that would help them, but she focused on the immobile orb. Frisk's eye contact was not clear, but the orb that chased around the air came to a halt. Madjick's head dipped in disappointment, and took off back down the corridor, leaving them alone. "60G."

"Th-that was close..." she pocketed the coins at Alphys' concern. Close, not really. It was a rather easy fight. "Bu-but it's okay! W-we just need to keep going!" Keep going. That's all they could really do at this point. _No other way around anyways._

The girls walked into the next room, finding a large bright blue laser blocking their path over a narrow walkway. "Looks like you can't proceed until you hit the switch." They looked over to the red button on the wall. "B-but, those lasers will activate when you do." Past the large laser, three smaller machines were set up, aiming across the pathway. "Ummm… looks like they'll come in this order: orange. Orange. Blue. G-got it? Move until the third one!" The phone clicked, leaving the two alone.

_If we're dodging lasers, that would make sense. We need to focus. _"Okay. Are you ready, kid?" Andi looked at the lasers, and back to the button. Hesitating would do them harm, meaning they would have to rush through them.

"Yep." Getting the one-worded approval, she pressed the switch, turning off the large laser, and making the smaller ones move forward. Except for... one small thing.

"Wrong order!" Andi yelped, a searing pain flying across her arm. Warning bells began ringing in her head, alerting her nerves that something was very much in pain. "Wrong order!" Frisk managed to quickly change her steps, and rushed to drag her friend across the bridge. Panting, Andi glanced at her left arm. The upper part of it was red from the heat, only scarcely scraping it before she realized the change in color. _It... could've been worse, _she thought with a grimace. "Ow."

The phone started ringing, and Frisk quickly picked up. "Oh, my god… are you hurt?" Alphys asked, horrified. "I… I'm so sorry, I… I gave you the wrong order."

Should she have been wearing her sweater, it might have been better. Or not, depending if the laser could set her clothes on fire. "I'll... be fine, Alphys. It's not a major burn."

Alphys stayed quiet for a few seconds, doubting her words. "Everything's going to be fine, okay? L-let's just keep heading to the right." Andi winced, giving the burn another look. _Nothing more I can do about that right now. Better keep going. _"A crossroads..." Alphys muttered. They stopped at the split path, one hallway going off to the left, and the other continuing forward. "Uhh… uhhh… tr… try heading to the right!" _Technically, it's just straight, but I guess I see what you mean. _The girls walked a few feet, only for a heavily armored monster to approach from the far end, eyes narrowed at the sight of us. "W-wait! No, I think you two should h-head up!"

"Fine by me." Avoiding any fights were alright in her books. Taking Frisk's hand, the two changed direction, running along the corridor until sliding to a sudden halt. _Dead end! _A large monster in hulking armor stood in front of them, carrying a spiked club. Though they wore a helmet, the owl-like face on their chest was unprotected, watching their movements.

"Adieu." The attack was slow enough to allow the woman to duck and dodge, but the amount of small white bullets was plentiful, almost hitting her bare arms as she let go of Frisk to move freely.

"Frisk, any ideas?" She must've. Most of the Royal Guard members she had run across were dogs, and petting and rolling over would most likely be ineffective.

"Yep!" Frisk cleared her throat, and began to hum a soft tune to the giant monster. Andi blinked, and it took a moment to recognize the melody as Shyren's song. _I haven't thought of her for a while. _Of course, she hadn't. Shyren was in the timeline where she got killed by Undyne. Most of her memories from then were hazy. The knight yawned, the song lulling them to sleep. Smiling at Frisk's cleverness, she tried to accompany Frisk in singing, relying on muscle memory for the right notes. Frisk inched her way forward to pick up the 70G off the ground, and the two sprinted back out of the small area and into the fork in the road.

"Sorry, I… I… I thought that… let's try the right path instead." The nerves in Alphys' voice did little to help ease Andi's own feelings. Alphys, who helped create the Core and was guiding them through areas she should be able to see through her own cameras... was confused. Why? Did the Core change its design like a Rubik's cube? _What's going on here?_

They walked down the right path, and stopped at another bridge. Motion lasers moved along the walkway, going as low as their knees and as high as Andi's head. "M… more lasers… okay, I… I won't mess around this time. I'll deactivate the lasers and let you through... they're… not turning off… I can't turn them off." She couldn't. The girls could hear the sound of frantic clicking on Alphys' end, but despite that, the orange and blue beams were still active. "I… I-i-it's okay! I have this under control! I'm going to turn off the p-power for that whole node. Then you can walk across." The room plunged into darkness except for the backup lights hanging over the lasers, casting slight light over the walkway in front of them. "Okay, go!"

Frisk looked down the bridge, face scrunched up, and grabbed Andi's hand. _Frisk? _"Hold on."

"What do you mean, hold o- whoa!" Her voice cut short as the child ran across the platform, dragging her along. The same sense of urgency from evading Undyne was in her steps, set on reaching the other end as fast as her legs could let her. "Frisk, slow down! Wait a moment!"

"W-WAIT! STOP!" Frisk stopped immediately to a stop. With the sudden warning, and having been pulled along, Andi couldn't stop herself in time from running into Frisk's back and sending both tumbling to the blue metal floor. A flickering sound filled the room, one of a switch being turned on and off, and the room lit up once again. A solid row of blue lasers soared over them, scarcely missing their backs. _Don't. Move._ "Th-the power… it's turning itself back on. D-dang it… th-this isn't supposed to… I… I'm gonna turn it off again. When it turns off, move a little, and then STOP. Okay? Y-you won't get h-h-hurt."

"We're trusting you on this, Alphys." After all, she was the only way they were getting out of there without being burnt. The power turned off, sending them into darkness. "Hurry." Scrambling to their feet, the two took off down the walkway, not wanting to get caught in the blue beams again. The flickering sound filled the air, and the two paused mid-step. The beams hit their sides, but besides the odd warmth, nothing happened. "And... go."

The cycle continued, stopping and starting to reach the end. By the time the humans did reach the end, Andi's heart was in her head, and she threw a look back at the lasers. "That... was too... close."

"S-see? I've got everything under control. Everything's under control!" _Alphys, you... you don't. _Not anymore. The confidence in helping them in Hotland, had up and left. She didn't know where they were going, or how to help them with puzzles. _Alphys, what's happening? _They moved along, reaching another crossroad; she almost melted at the sight of the save point in the middle of the room. "Okay! Y-you should… you should… I don't know? This doesn't look like my map at all… I'm sorry… I… I… I have to go."

The phone clicked, and the two stared down at it. "Oh, Alphys." Andi pocketed the device as Frisk moved towards the star. ****The air is filled with the smell of ozone… it fills you with determination. ****"There's going to be a lot of paths up ahead. Unless we want to be aimlessly wandering around, I don't suppose you have an idea of where to go."

"Hmmm…" Frisk hummed, looking from left to right. "The right path. If I'm correct, that leads towards Mettaton and the elevator to the Capital." _If you're correct. _She couldn't really fault Frisk with that one. The structure was a maze, and a lot of it looked similar.

They walked down the path, a walkway supported by large metal beams underneath, fog drifted up from far below them. Poking out of the mist, towers flashing with red lights. _I wish I knew how this all worked. _Frisk held her arm up, signalling them to stop when a small monster approached them. A giant eyeball took up most of its face, staring unblinkingly at them. "Hey, ugly!"

"Frisk!" Andi looked at her, baffled. What was the random insult for? They were trying to pacify their way through the Underground.

"That's right!" The monster yelled in agreement before Frisk could respond, running off back the way it came. 50G sat where it once stood, and Frisk went to pocket the money.

"Well… that was... something." _Guess all monsters have different ways they'd like to be approached. _She walked to the end of the bridge, finding a locked door, a sealed elevator, and a save point. ****Behind this door must be the elevator to the King's castle. You're filled with determination. ****She stared at the door, while Frisk dipped her hand into the warm light. "Are you ready, Frisk?" Undyne was a difficult monster to get by. Metatton, she didn't think he would be too difficult. Harder than passing by Toriel and Papyrus, but they should be fine. _We'll be fine. We'll get through this, like we have with every other battle._

"Definitely," Frisk grinned. Those as their final words, Frisk hit a button on the side of the door, opening it up. There he was, Mettaton, standing in the middle of the room and blocking their path. The two walked up to him, standing opposite. It was a dark space, the walls a dark grey, and their exit was at the far other side of the robot. _Bit of a small space for a fight._

"OH YES. THERE YOU ARE, DARLINGS," he said. "IT'S TIME TO HAVE OUR LITTLE SHOWDOWN. IT'S TIME TO STOP THE 'MALFUNCTIONING' ROBOT… NOT! MALFUNCTION? REPROGRAMMING? GET REAL. THIS WAS ALL JUST A BIG SHOW. AN ACT. ALPHYS HAS BEEN PLAYING YOU GIRLS FOR A FOOL THE WHOLE TIME."

Malfunctioning, she would agree with. Nothing about his behavior made it seem like a programming issue. However, the Alphys part? That didn't-she wouldn't have. She watched them journey through the Underground, right? She knew how determined they were to get out of there. Why would she try and delay that? "Alphys wouldn't have, she... you're lying."

"REALLY, SWEETHEART?" Metatton asked. "AS SHE WATCHED YOU ON THE SCREEN, SHE GREW ATTACHED TO YOUR ADVENTURE. SHE DESPERATELY WANTED TO BE APART OF IT. SO SHE DECIDED TO INSERT HERSELF INTO YOUR STORY. SHE REACTIVATED PUZZLES. SHE DISABLED ELEVATORS. SHE ENLISTED ME TO TORMENT YOU. ALL SO SHE COULD SAVE YOU TWO FROM DANGERS THAT DIDN'T EXIST. ALL SO YOU WOULD THINK SHE'S THE GREAT PERSON… THAT SHE'S NOT."

_Alphys, I thought we told you we already liked you as you are. _She had no idea if she should pity the Royal Scientist, or smack her for pulling the wool over their eyes. It... didn't matter, right now. They had more important things to deal with.

"AND NOW, IT'S TIME FOR HER FINEST HOUR. AT THIS VERY MOMENT, ALPHYS IS WAITING OUTSIDE THE ROOM. DURING OUR 'BATTLE', SHE WILL INTERRUPT. SHE WILL PRETEND TO 'DEACTIVATE' ME, 'SAVING' YOU TWO ONE FINAL TIME. FINALLY. SHE'LL BE THE HEROINE OF YOUR ADVENTURE. YOU'LL REGARD HER SO HIGHLY SHE'LL EVEN BE ABLE TO CONVINCE YOU TWO NOT TO LEAVE… OR NOT. YOU SEE, I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS PREDICTABLE CHARADE. I HAVE NO DESIRE TO HARM HUMANS. FAR FROM IT, ACTUALLY."

"Then… what do you want to do?" Andi asked warily.

"MY ONLY DESIRE IS TO ENTERTAIN. AFTER ALL, THE AUDIENCE DESERVES A GOOD SHOW, DON'T THEY? AND WHAT'S A GOOD SHOW… WITHOUT A PLOT TWIST?" The door made a loud echoing thump from behind the girls, and they spun around to see it had closed. On the other side, someone knocked quickly against the other door.

"H-hey! Wh-what's going on!? Th-th-the door just locked itself!" Alphys. _This is not going to end well._

The floor around them lit up in a bright neon red light, large circles decorated the ground around the robot. "SORRY, FOLKS! THE OLD PROGRAMMING'S BEEN CANCELED! BUT WE'VE GOT A FINALE THAT WILL DRIVE YOU WILD!" The floor started rising up from the ground, and Andi could make out a bright light from far above them. __Where's he taking us? __"REAL DRAMA! REAL ACTION! REAL BLOODSHED! ON OUR NEW SHOW… ATTACK OF THE KILLER ROBOT!"

The floor continued to move upwards, and Andi and Frisk's souls were drawn out. Once they were in full view of Mettaton, their souls turned rotated upside-down , and the color shifted to a bright yellow. "Frisk?" Andi stared at her soul in confusion. This was a new one. Blue, green, and now yellow. That did that one imply? "What does yellow mean?"

"YES, I WAS THE ONE THAT RE-ARRANGED THE CORE! I WAS THE ONE THAT HIRED EVERYONE TO KILL YOU! THAT, HOWEVER, WAS A SHORT-SIGHTED PLAN. YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD BE A HUNDRED TIMES BETTER? KILLING THE TWO OF YOU MYSELF!" Frisk glared at the robot, and small yellow arrows flew out of her soul. The attacks harmlessly bounced off Mettaton, disappearing before they hit the ground. "THAT WORTHLESS PEA-SHOOTER WON'T WORK ON ME, DARLING. DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT ACTING IS!?"

"We do, we just don't think you're very great at it." She had a feeling something was wrong during the encounters with Metatton. Alphys' betrayal, she did not predict. Her acting was far better than his own.

"LISTEN, DARLINGS. I'VE SEEN YOU FIGHT. YOU'RE WEAK. IF YOU CONTINUE FORWARD, ASGORE WILL TAKE YOUR SOULS. AND WITH YOUR SOUL, ASGORE WILL DESTROY HUMANITY." Mettaton summoned several small cubes and launched them in their direction. _Whoa!_ Andi and Frisk ducked through the openings in between the lines of blocks, the older not entirely sure how Frisk was able to have her soul launch the arrows from before. "BUT IF I GET YOUR SOULS, I CAN STOP ASGORE'S PLAN! I CAN SAVE HUMANITY FROM DESTRUCTION!" He fired again, three lines of cubes, with a few that Frisk easily blew up with her inverted soul. The final row of cubes had a lone yellow block in the middle, and with one shot, the entire line slid to the side, letting the attack miss them.

"THEN, USING YOUR SOULS. I'LL CROSS THROUGH THE BARRIER… AND BECOME THE STAR I'VE ALWAYS DREAMED OF BEING! HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS… NO! MILLIONS OF HUMANS WILL WATCH ME!" More attacks, and Frisk fired more arrows at the blocks to make the rows move out of the way. _Okay, time to try this out for myself. _Watching her movements, Andi focused on one of the blocks, and felt a tugging on her soul. It wasn't like a monster fight, when it was unwillingly dragged out. It was focused on one specific spot, instead of the soul as a whole. A single golden arrow flew out of the heart, striking a bomb and blowing it up. _Got it._

"GLITZ! GLAMOUR! I'LL FINALLY HAVE IT ALL! SO WHAT IF A FEW PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE? THAT'S SHOW BUSINESS, BABY!"

Andi readied her soul, only for their phone to start ringing. Frisk hopped in front of her, taking the lead in deflecting the attacks while she picked up. "Now's not the time, Alphys!"

"U… uh… I can't see what's going on in there, but…" she kept her voice low, enough so Mettaton didn't hear. "D-d-don't give up, okay!? Th… there's o-one l-l-last way to beat Mettaton… it's… um… it's… this is a work in-progress, so don't judge it too hard… but, you know how Mettaton always faces f-f-forward? That's because there's a switch on his backside. S-s-so if y-y-you c-c-can turn him around… um… and, umm… press th-th-th-the switch… he'll be… um… he'll be… vulnerable. Well, g-g-gotta go!"

Even with how stressed she was, Andi smiled at the call. Did Alphys have an epiphany, that what she was doing was wrong? She still was trying to help them, and that was what mattered in the end. _Spin him around, huh? _"Hey, Mettaton!" She shouted, stuffing the phone away. "Is that a mirror behind you?"

"OH? A MIRROR? RIGHT, I HAVE TO LOOK PERFECT FOR OUR GRAND FINALE!" Mettaton turned around, revealing a large flip switch on his back. _Couldn't she have made it any less... noticeable? _"HMMM… I DON'T SEE IT… WHERE IS IT…?" Before Metatton could say anything else, Frisk rushed forward, slapping the button to the other side. "DID YOU. JUST FLIP. MY SWITCH?" The robot spun around, a loud high-pitch sound emitting from his speakers as his red and yellow lights flashed wildly.

Frisk hurried back to Andi, covering her eyes as a burst of bright light rushed to meet them. "Aah!" Andi covered her own, still squinting from how quick the lighting had changed. The sound of hissing steam, and footsteps met their ears, and slowly, she brought her hands down to look. "What...?"

"Ohhh, YES!" The floor's acceleration slowed, almost coming to a complete stop, as spotlights shone down into the platform from above. There was no mistaking the voice, but... Metatton's form. _His silhouette looks almost human. _"Ohhh my. If you flipped my switch, than can only mean one thing. You're desperate for the premiere of my new body. How rude… lucky for you two, I've been aching to show this off for a long time."

"Aching?" _Alphys, what body did you make for him? _He sounded proud of it, so whatever it was, it was bond to be better than the rectangular box he was before.

"So… as thanks. I'll give you a handsome reward. I'll make your last living moments…" Mettaton strutted out of the mist, revealing a robot that proved her initial thought of a human form. His body had black metal 'hair' that covered his right eye, pale silvery skin, metal segments above and below his left pink eye. His chest plate, a bright pink, held a heart-shaped core, and his designed finished with a narrow waist, and long black legs that ended in pink high-heeled boots. "ABSOLUTELY beautiful!"

__Well... it's definitely a nice looking form. "__Here we go, Andi!" The robot in question smirked, and as the stage slowed to a stop, the sound of shrieking and excited cheers met them. The girls looked behind them, and Andi blanched at what she saw. Spotlights lit up the ground around them, the stage having changed from its red color to a hot pink, and below, hundreds of monsters were cheering them on.

"... big crowd." Andi spun around, and saw Mettaton rush up towards them. He swung his legs at them, and the girls threw themselves out of the way before the sharp heeled feet could make contact with them. With a much faster body than in his old form, Mettaton switched from legs to fists, trying to deliver a blow. He smirked when he finally landed a hit on Frisk with his foot, sending her flying across the stage, and rolling into a spotlight. Before Andi could react, Mettaton's other foot rammed into her side, and she rolled across the floor. Stopping as she made contact with Frisk, she held her ribs tenderly. "Ow..."

Mettaton stood above them, waging his finger in displeasure. "Come now, darlings. Where's that spark from before? Now, smile for the camera! I'm sure your friends are ecstatic to be watching you live."

"L-live!?" Andi paled, and looked down at the stage in fright, not having pulled herself to her feet. Live. They were live. B-but that meant...!

* * *

The tune was rather on the loud side, perhaps due to the fact she was aggressively hitting the piano keys, almost breaking them under the impact. Could she be playing softer? Oh, definitely. But she didn't feel like it. No, she was still hung up over the humans who got away into Hotland!

"Stupid... wimpy humans...!" Undyne grumbled under her breath, taking pause to flip the sheet of music. "Won't even face me right."

"Are you live, Hotland!?" Her head snapped up, hearing the sound of an annoyingly familiar robot come blasting out of her radio on the kitchen counter. "Get ready! You're in for a real treat!"

"I don't want to be filmed! Fighting's one thing, but do you have to let everyone see it too?" Over the headache-inducing screams, Undyne knew who's voice that was. _The older human. _They... made it to the Core. They were at the foot of the Capital.

"... NGAAAHHHHH!"

* * *

"how far do you think they made it?"

"HMM... PERHAPS THEY ARE ALREADY THROUGH THE CORE." Papyrus poked his head out from the kitchen, gesturing with the wooden spoon in his hand. "I BET THEY'RE ALREADY ON THEIR WAY TO THE CAPITAL!"

That'd be a nice thought. Though, the older brother knew that was highly unlikely. If Frisk was set on the perfect ending-and she was-then she wouldn't be reaching the Capital for a while. That, and they still had to get through Metatton. "hey, paps? do you... ever dream 'bout going to the surface?"

"THE SURFACE?" He couldn't see Papyrus' face, having dipped back into the kitchen, but Sans knew he had his attention. Andi's strange explanation about getting out of there stuck in his skull. Sky, wind, and stars. Stars. Had he... ever really appreciated them, when he was up there? Perhaps, once, but that was a long, long time ago. Before the first reset, when everything went downhill. Far above him, slowly changing position over time, and creating images in the fabric of space. Planets, meteors; he loved the idea of it. It was just... incredible. "OCCASIONALLY... DO YOU THINK THE HUMANS CAN BREAK THE BARRIER?"

Papyrus didn't go into detail with his answer, and Sans couldn't blame him. He had some idea of what his younger brother dreamt. Owning a car, driving down the road with the fresh breeze passing him by. The feel of fresh grass, and the sight and smell of the ocean, sprawling out in front of him. _little weird, that one. ebott's not anywhere close to the ocean. _He'd have to drive to get there. "heh... maybe, bro. girls seem pretty determined." He picked up the remote next to him, and grabbed the ketchup bottle resting at his feet. _may as well pass the time until then. _

"Andi, the audience wants drama! Stop dodging!"

"Well, pardon me for not wanting to get blown up here!"

"hrrrk!" The food caught in his throat, and the skeleton gave a harsh cough to clear it. His attention, though, was locked on the image on the television, rather than his own slip-up. Frisk and Andi, with a noticeable burn on her upper arm, jumped around the lit-up stage. Metatton, in his EX form and standing a clear view inches taller than the older human, attacked with well-aimed kicks of his hot pink boots.

"SANS, IS EVERYTHING OKAY?" Papyrus dashed out of the kitchen, jar of pasta sauce in hand. "WHAT HAPPENED-OH, MY GOD!"

"Keep up, darlings! I know you can do better than that!"

"You have longer legs! How is that fair!?"

"SHOULD WE DO SOMETHING?" Sans glanced up at Papyrus, and turned back to the television. Should he...?

"... nah. they'll be fine." The kid had done it all before, after all. There was nothing to worry about. _'__sides, i'm technically still keeping an eye socket on them. _"let's just watch and enjoy the show." Enjoy the show... it was only a matter of time at that point. "oh, and, uh, paps?" Sans glanced down at his shirt, seeing the droplets of ketchup speckled over it, already soaking into the white fabric. "you mind gettin' me a towel?"

* * *

"As much as the layout is intimidating, Frisk, I would love for this to wrap up soon." Her ribs hurt, and it made dodging more difficult. Though, judging from the ratings board high above their heads, in the middle of the stage, everyone loved the drama. The bar spiked sharply when it happened, and she had to wonder if it was a matter of them cheering him on and for their destruction, or for seeing their friend and their celebrity go at it.

Frisk winked at her, putting a hand under her chin and giving what she deemed to be a dramatic pose. Which... looked ridiculous, and the elder had to fight down a small laugh at the action. The ratings board increased a little at the action. "Play along, and get high ratings. That's all we have to do."

And score big, they shall. _Let's do this. _"Not bad, darlings," Mettaton commended, giving the ratings board his own appraisal. "But how about this!" Several mini Mettaton robots, all in the shape of his old form, flew at them. Exchanging a quick look, Frisk and Andi hurried to dodge the robots, trying to make themselves come off as graceful. With a quick shot from her yellow heart, Frisk took down one of the tiny robots, sending it sailing behind them and exploding. The result lit them up far better than the spotlights around the edge of the stage... and also pelted their backs with pieces of metal.

"Could've been better... ouch." Mettaton playfully stuck out his tongue, amused at their attempts to try and pull the show in their favor, and fired more robots. This time, he joined in on the attack. A flurry of exploding rectangles and legs was all she could see, and Andi slid to the side of the stage to regroup. Her side was more than likely bruised from the earlier hit, and should she check, she'd probably find a dark purple bruise. Feeling her ribs and wincing, she heard the crowd boo, a rather shocking turn of noise. Frisk was sticking her tongue out at Metatton. Why, she had no idea. _Kid, we are supposed to make the ratings go up, not down! _The mech frowned at her action, and with quick steps, rushed up to her and struck her on the back of her head with his boot, its heel digging into her scalp and sending her stumbling to her knees.

"Frisk!" She watched as a pink soul drifted out of Metatton's chest as he struck a pose, lightning shaped attacks flying out around it in ever-growing circles. Frisk threw herself backwards, giving a small roll before landing back on her feet. Her knees buckled, and she held her head tenderly. Pulling it away, she saw the blood staining her fingers, strands of hair sticking in the crimson liquid. "Frisk, are you okay?" The girl looked over at her, and shakily gave a thumbs up. Her smile didn't match her eyes. _We should've packed more healing items... or any healing items. _Why, oh, why did she have to leave the pie behind?

"Time to... do this for real," Frisk said with a grimace. Pulling herself to her full short height, the young human began to tap her foot to the beat, swinging her arms around and dancing to the music blasting through the speakers. No attacks had been fired, and using the break to her advantage, went to try and raise as much ratings as she possibly could.

"Frisk, you goof," Andi laughed at the child. Should she join in? She didn't have much of a choice. If getting high ratings and getting the crowd on its feet was the way to win the battle, then she'd be willing to make a fool of herself. _I really, really hope the guys aren't watching this. _Andi's dance style was a little more graceful than Frisk's, a bit more spin in her steps than random flailing, but she knew she looked ridiculous.

"Finally, darlings!" Mettaton danced his way over to them, a pleased grin on his face. His moves were difficult to mimic, but the two fell into a pattern of repeating certain steps, all taking control of the stage. Metatton jumped over them as the slid underneath, using their palms to stop and pose before tumbling over each other in a heap. _Ouch. _And... now her right hand hurt too.

Still. She was... having fun. Silly, but fun. Andi giggled at herself, until she saw a new round of lightning bolts being launched at them, his pink soul in full view. "Here it comes!" Frisk focused her energy at Andi's warning, and fired her yellow arrows at the robot's heart. The soul trembled, and in a burst of sparks, Mettaton's arms break off. The limbs tumbled to the floor, rolling a few feet away from him.

Smoke poured from the holes in his torso, loose tires crackling in the air. "A… arms? Wh… who needs arms with legs like these?" Mettaton looked at himself, and adjusted his stance on the stage. He wasn't standing as tall anymore, knees beginning to buckle from exhaustion. "I'm still going to win! Come on…!"

_Was he...? Oh, no! _"Mettaton!" Andi cried. "You're overloading! Your body can't take this much excitement!" It couldn't. If there was a reason why he hadn't shown it off yet, then it was no doubt for this very thing. Limbs not fully attached, or at least not connected well enough to handle fast movements, and perhaps a weak battery source.

"Nonsense! The show… must go on!" He protested. The pink light dimmed slightly in his eye, and while he did not need to breathe, Metatton's voice was ragged. "Dr… drama! A… action! L… lights… c… camera…" Mettaton sighed, and looked at the girls. No dancing, no fighting. For a brief moment, a welcoming pause in the fray. "Enough of this! Do you really want humanity to perish!? … or do you just believe in yourselves that much?"

"We believe in ourselves, Mettaton," Andi said. "It's sometimes weak, but we do." Their souls were red for a reason. "And I know all of our friends we've made in the Underground believe in us too." They all did. _Toriel, Papyrus... even Sans, somehow... even after all Frisk has done. _If could somehow believe in her, then why couldn't she believe in her too?

"Ha ha, how inspiring! Well, darlings! It's either me or you! But I think we both already know who's going to win. Witness the true power of humanity's star!" Mettaton brought out his soul one last time, though this time, was prepared. White and black heeled legs shot up out of the ground, making the girls jump away in shrieks. They were slow, but the familiarity in movement-how similar it was to Undyne and her spears, sent a shiver through Andi's spine. _Not now. Not. Now. _Before they could fire upon him, the heels having passed, Mettaton launched a round of magical lighting bolts out from the heart. Side-stepping the bolts, the woman honed in on her soul, ready to fire, when Mettaton's legs broke off. _Oops! _At last, though not the way she would have liked it, the battle was finally over.

Metatton, only his torso and head remaining, collapsed to the stage. "Whoa!" Running forward, she scrambled to catch him, dropping onto her knees to and sliding to make it. "Got you." Metatton looked up at her, his one eye trailing from her relieved face to the screen above her.

"Ooh! Look at these ratings!" Mettaton said. The three stared, seeing the bar high above the 10000 mark. _Wow. _Did they really do that? "This is the most viewers I've ever had! We've reached the viewers call-in milestone! One lucky viewer will have the chance to talk to me, before I leave the Underground forever!" The crowd had calmed down considerably, and the monsters and two humans watch Metatton's shining face, hanging onto his words. Even after all that, with his arms and legs gone, he still thought he would make it out. "Let's see who calls in first." The sound of a phone dial flowed through his chest speaker, and Andi heard the click of a call being picked up. "Hi! You're on TV! What do you have to say on this, our last show?"

"… oh… hi… Mettaton… I really like watching your show…" __Blooky? ___He-why was he calling? _"My life is pretty boring… but… seeing you on the screen… brought excitement to my life. Vicariously. I can't tell but… I guess this is the last episode?" Mettaton's face fell at the ghost's words, and he closed his eye with a sullen frown. "I'll miss you, Mettaton… oh… I didn't mean to talk for so long…" Blooky's voice shook, though it could have been the crackling through a dying speaker. "Oh…" a long, droning tone floated through the air, the call having ended. _Blooky?_

"No. Wait! WAIT!" Mettaton shouted, hoping that the ghost would come back. "Bl- he… they already hung up..." He looked down at his speaker sadly, and threw the two a forced grin. _He doesn't want to keep doing this. Why's he going on? _"I'll take another caller!"

The voices, after Blooky, were all the same. Cheers about how much the robot meant to them, bringing a spark to their lives. Call, after call, it was all identical. "Ah… I… I see…" did he, now? "Heh... everyone… thank you so much…" he looked at them, his smile finally one of warmth and defeat. "Darlings… perhaps it might be better if I stay for a while. Humans already have stars and idols, but monsters… they only have me… if I left… the Underground would lose it's spark. I'd leave an aching void that can never be filled… so… I think I'll have to delay my debut." He looked to the side, avoiding their gaze. "Besides… you two have proven to be very strong. Perhaps… even strong enough to get past Asgore. I'm sure you'll be able to protect humanity."

Protect... humanity? Was-they wanted to break the barrier, of course, but Asgore... could they change his mind? Would that let them fulfill Metatton's wish? "Mettaton," Andi murmured. She placed a hand on his cheek, smiling. "W-we will. We'll get past Asgore, and we'll get you all out of here."

Mettaton smiled at her, her words earning a weak laugh. "Ha, ha… good luck then, beautiful. Use that spirit of yours for good use. It's all for the best, anyway. The truth is this form's energy consumption is… inefficient. In a few moments I'll run out of battery power…" they looked down at his heart gauge, and saw the pink heart slowly fade. _That... that doesn't mean he's gonna die, right? _"And… well…" Frisk placed her hand on the heart, frowning at the robot. "I'll be alright..." Mettaton said, trying to perk the child up. "Knock 'em dead, darlings!"

Okay. She did not want to, but after everything that had happened, it was difficult to not start crying. Andi's breathing was funny, and she took a deep breath to steady herself. With a sob-filled giggle, she brought Metatton up enough to hug him, and heard Frisk giggle at what must have been his surprised reaction. "O-okay, I'll admit it. I-I'm a fan now."

"Ha ha…" Mettaton looked out at the crowd, still held in the woman's arms, and smiled happily. "And everyone! Thank you! You've been a great audience!" They had. Though, Andi still had no idea where the stage even was. _Is this arena built into the Core? Where else could we possibly be? _The stage, once firmly locked into place, began to descend back into the depths of the Core where they initially started. Darkness wrapped around them, the spotlights a near distant memory. From high above their heads, thunderous applause rang out, hoots and hollers of happy monsters satisfied with the show. The only light left around them came from the heart on Metatton's chest, which was dying fast. "Darling... do me a favor, won't you?"

Her? Do a favor for him? "Sure... what is it?" _It's not a dying wish. He's not dying, Andi. Stop thinking that way._

"Watch over your sister, won't you…? I've… messed up in the past, and… I know I will have to fix what I've done… but you?" The pained smile brightened slightly. "I know you won't make that mistake." _Watch over her... he has no idea. _"Keep that up, beautiful." With a heavy sigh, his eye closed, and the pink light faded completely. The faint hum in his chest died out, and Metatton was completely silent. The floor came to a stop, and the door clicked open behind and in front of them. _Metatton?_

"I… I managed to open the lock? Are you girls… oh my god." Alphys ran out from the door behind them, sliding up to Mettaton. "Mettaton! Mettaton, are you…?" she took a deep breath, and turned to look at the girls. "… thank GOD, it's just the batteries." _Batteries..._ oh, thank goodness, he's not dead. "Mettaton, if you were gone, I would have… I would have… I m-mean, h-hey, it's n-no problem, you know? He's just a robot, if you messed it up, I c-could always… j-just build another."

"Alphys," Andi said, the name coming off as stern, despite the tears in her eyes. _Dang it, why'd I have to cry? _"We know Mettaton's not just a robot... if I have to take a guess, he's a ghost, right? If he knows Blooky, a ghost from Waterfall, and with what I know about ghosts and finding bodies..." Metatton was joined to his metal form. His connection much more stable than the dummy in the garbage dump, who had yet to become one with it. _Metatton's a ghost... __or was a ghost._

Alphys looked at the robot, and sighed, a sound filled with disappointment and regret. "He… w-was my first real friend. We bonded over the human world, due to the material we found in the dump. W-when I found out he wanted a body… I jumped at the chance to make him one." She took a hold of Mettaton, and lifted his body up off the ground. "I-I'm so sorry for l-lying to you, Andi and Frisk. I just… I just wanted to feel special for once."

"Alphys," Andi stood up, and placed her hand on the lizard's shoulder. "You didn't have to do this, you know? You remember what I said before? We don't need you to prove anything to us. We already like you." She left her hand there for a second more, before pulling it away. Alphys took a moment, but she slowly let herself look up at Andi. Her eyes weren't watery, but her smile was shaky, weak. _It's a start. _It was going to take a little while for the Royal Scientist to come back around. "Now then, let's help you get him back to the lab."

"Help-Metatton?" Alphys stepped back, waving her hands. "B-but the Capital! Asgore, and the barrier! D-don't you t-two want to go home?"

"Of course we do. But, that can all wait." She bent down, and picked up one of Metatton's fallen arms. It was heavier than she expected, but not difficult to carry. _Just a little awkward. _"Right now, Metatton needs help." She grabbed the second arm, and looked back at the Royal Scientist. Alphys, behind her glasses, was close to tears. Why though? Was helping repair her friend really that shocking? True, she did not have the greatest of opinions of him, but what had happened at the end, before his batteries ran out... there was something special about him that Andi had to admit, she admired. He helped cheer up the monsters of the Underground, made things just a little bit brighter for them. And how could she possibly hate that? "If that's alright with you?"

"A-Andi, I-I... thank you. Th-thank you." Frisk shuffled to the side, snatching up Metatton's legs, whose heels dragged on the ground with how tall she was. "Come. It's going to take a while to put him back together."

"Yeah, and charging him too." Andi smiled at the two, and together, they started for the door. They did it. Hotland had at last been completed. Now, all that remained of their journey was the Capital and Asgore. _The ruler of the Underground, _she thought, her smile slipping at its corners. Was it relief, or fear, she was feeling? What emotion was flooding through her this time? _Frisk... I hope we're close. _She wanted their journey to end, or perhaps reach a point where no longer felt afraid for her life. They were close now, she was certain of it... she just had to be patient.

* * *

**This turned into a much larger chapter than I thought it'd be. In the end, the delay I suppose was worth it.**

**Until next time!**

**Angel**


	15. Something Fishy

**Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale.**

"Speaking"

_Thinking_

* * *

The girls carried the shiny metallic limbs behind Alphys, who carried Metatton's head and torso in her own arms. The lizard monster looked over her shoulder, checking on them, before focusing back on their destination. "I'll set up a table once we get back. There, y-you can lay those down next to it. It shouldn't be too much trouble reattaching Metatton's limbs."

"Thank goodness," Andi sighed, readjusting her grip. "I don't think he could handle going without them." _He definitely seemed proud of that new form of his. It would've been a shame to have it destroyed. _And they were metal too, so... they were starting to get heavy. _My arms hurt. _"How long do you think it will take to mend him?"

Alphys mumbled over some numbers as the sight of the lab finally came into view. The walk back was... weird. Taking the elevators and passing through the hotel, the trio had gotten some confused and pitied looks from watching monsters. One, thankfully, was kind enough to open the door as they reached the front of the lobby. Andi smiled behind Metatton's severed arms at the thought, readjusting her hold again. _Everyone's so nice here. Even if they don't have to be, when they know what __Frisk and I __are. __None of them blame us for what happened._

"O-okay. Just set them down he-here." Andi lowered the arms on a chair, already covered in the legs Frisk had been carrying. A small pillow sat on the operating table, with Mettaton's head resting peacefully on it. "It should be an easy fix, splicing the wires back together."

"You'll need more metal," Andi added. "And, um, whatever it is you charge him with." _Where do you even charge Metatton's battery? Open up his chest? _Frisk, her hands on the edge of the table, studied the robot's 'sleeping' face. He definitely looked human, mimicking the facial muscles nearly perfectly. His uncovered eye had lids that covered the pink pupil, and his mouth was in a small smile. _Like he's having a good dream. _

"Andi?" Frisk looked up at the older human, retracting herself from the table. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Alphys had started shuffling through a drawer, pulling out different baggies full of various sized screws, and the two backed towards the front entrance. "What's up?"

"Remember Papyrus' call?" _Oh... forgot about that. _It was a spur of the moment call, and after everything else that had happened, she had completely forgotten it. "Andi, could... could you go and meet with him? By... by yourself?" _I... what? _Andi's throat felt dry, and she gulped at what she was hinting at. Go with Papyrus... to meet Undyne. "B-but," Frisk waved her hands defensively, "it's not that bad! All that will happen is cooking and tea!"

"Frisk, last time I checked, nothing is entirely going according to what's considered 'normal'," she whispered back, not wanting Alphys to hear them. Her, visit Undyne? "Frisk, is it absolutely important that one of us goes to befriend her?"

"If we want the perfect ending, yes." Andi straightened up. Frisk had delivered the line with absolute seriousness. There was no joking in her voice. _Perfect ending... dang it, Frisk. _If the kid said that, and if they had been through this journey as many times as she suggested, then there was no other option. It was... like a variable. She could not go, but to achieve what they were hoping to reach-getting everyone out of the Underground-she would have to do it. She... she would have to visit Undyne.

"... fine. I'll go. I'll bring the phone with me, and give you updates on how it goes to Alphys." She looked to the door, and glanced back at Frisk. "Um... how exactly do I... get back there?" Frisk giggled, and pointed at the door.

"Take a left down the stairs. It will lead you to the River Person, and you can ride back up river to Waterfall." _River Person. Got it. _Andi opened the door, the hot air blowing into her face, and she stepped back out into Hotland. "Good luck!"

The door closed behind her with a clang, and she began making her way in the direction Frisk instructed, moving closer to the base of the cavern. Befriend Undyne, huh? How would that go? What happened with Frisk when she did it? "Tra la la." She stepped off onto dark grey soil, the temperature shifting to almost match Waterfall's. A tall figure in a grey cloak looked up at her, standing in a small boat with an oar in their covered hands. "Care for a ride?"

"Yes, please." Stepping carefully down into the ride due to the lack of railings, the boat dipped at the extra weight, but straightened itself once she sat down. "Can you take me to Waterfall?"

"Of course. Then we're off..." their voice was quiet, soft. With the hood, it was impossible to tell what type of monster they were; no visible signs of hands, or feet. They were a mystery. _Not one that I should be concerned about. _The red walls of Hotland were long behind them, the glowing crystals of Waterfall appearing around them and lighting their way. "Tra la la. Don't snoop behind people's houses..."

Andi looked to the River Person, a brow raising at the out-of-place sentence. Snoop behind-was it a specific house? Why would she do that? What was the benefit there? _Bet Frisk knows what they mean. __It wouldn't surprise me. _The boat slowed down, and came to a gentle stop in front of another dock. "Thank you." Stepping out of the boat, and back onto stable ground, she bowed her head to the River Person.

"Come again some time. Tra la la." Retreating up the path, leaving the monster behind, she smiled at the sight of Gerson's shop. _So that's where we are. _Taking a left, and seeing the splitting paths-one she knew led to Blooky's house, she moved to the path furthest from her. _Blooky's the middle, right? So Undyne is either left or right. I'll try left first. _

"ANDI! YOU CAME!" She grinned, her worry fading a little at the sight of Papyrus. The cavern was rather small, only having a practice dummy on a fish mat in the corner, and a house resembling a fish behind the skeleton. The eyes, sloped to look angry, were its windows, and its fanged mouth was its door. _It even has a tail. _"I KNEW YOU WOULD MAKE IT!"

"Papyrus, were you waiting for us the entire time?" If they had spent the night in Hotland, and taken the time to do all of those puzzles and the battle with Metatton, then wouldn't that mean Papyrus was waiting for more than a day? _Please, tell me __you__ w__ere__n't waiting that long._

"OF COURSE NOT. SANS AND I HAD WATCHED YOUR FIGHT WITH METATTON ON TV." They did? _Oh, boy. _If they saw it, then who else saw it that she knew? "I KNEW YOU WOULD HAVE NO TROUBLE. YOUR DODGING SKILLS WERE CLEAR IN OUR BATTLE, AND I HAD NO DOUBT THAT YOU WOULD WIN." He was that confident in them, huh? Andi smiled at that, but the mention of Sans lowered it a little. What did he think, after all of... that? Frisk's breakdown, and everything they talked about in the hotel? Did his trust in the younger human remain stagnant, or did their bond repair itself?

"Th-thanks, Papyrus. Guess that's proof that we were busy. Oh, uh, Frisk is helping Alphys repair Metatton, so it's just going to be me." Though she really wished it was the other way. "Is that okay?"

Papyrus nodded. "NOW, ARE YOU READY?" _Ready? _She would rather be sprinting in the opposite direction, putting as much distance between her and the Royal Guard. But... she couldn't back out now. _I won't... is that dummy glaring at me? _Papyrus spun around, and knocked on the upper teeth of the fish house. "STAND BEHIND ME?" Shuffling behind the skeleton, she peaked around his shoulder to watch the door. "PSSST! MAKE SURE TO GIVE HER THIS!" He passed her a bone wrapped in a red ribbon, a cleaner and newer version of the one in her hair. _A bone... a skeleton thing? _"SHE LOVES THESE!"

"Hi, Papyrus!" She looked back up, and instinctively, shuffled backwards. Undyne. She... wasn't as intimidating without her armor. But those muscles... _oh, boy. _Undyne, instead of the heavy armor from yesterday, wore a pair of dark blue jeans, torn at the knees from possibly exercise, a bright red tank top, and black combat boots. Her red hair was still in its ponytail, reaching her shoulders. Her blue skin was the same scaly complexion as Alphys, and she could make out the royal emblem designed onto her eye patch. _Gills, too. _Red ones, on either side of her neck. _Given that she's a fish monster, that makes sense. __"_Ready for your extra-private, one-on-one training?"

"YOU BET I AM! AND I BROUGHT A FRIEND WITH ME!" Papyrus moved to the side before Andi could react, and her shoulders stiffened. Undyne had her eye closed, giving her a pleasant smile as she held out her and for a shake.

"Hi, I don't think we've…" her eye opened, and immediately, her face turned into a grimace, hand falling back to her side. _Yep. I'm not happy either._ She glanced at Papyrus, receiving a happy smile, and gave the human a forced toothy grin. "Why don't. You two. Come in?" She stepped back into the house, and Papyrus excitedly ran after her, not sparing Andi another look.

"This won't end well," the human muttered, following Papyrus. Undyne's house was quite simple. A wooden dining table was off to the side, and a large kitchen stood across from them, with a door possibly leading to the rest of her house near the end of the counter. Andi also noticed a large sword laying by the table, and a piano by the window to her left.__Tune a piano, can't tuna fish... dang it, mind. Lay off the puns.__

"HERE, UNDYNE," Papyrus said. "ANDI BROUGHT A GIFT FOR YOU, ON HER OWN." He motioned to the human, and with a nervous gulp, inched forward and held out the bone.

Undyne, with the same amount of confusion, took the bone from her, taking care to touch her hand. "Uhhh… thanks. I'll, uh, put it with the others." She walked into the kitchen and pulled out a drawer, revealing dozens of wrapped bones. Despite her concern, Andi couldn't help but smile a little at the contents. "So, are we ready to start?"

"WHOOPSY DOOPSY! I JUST REMEMBERED! I HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM! YOU THREE HAVE FUN!" Papyrus announced. _Bathro-Papyrus! Wait a second! _Not letting Undyne or her get a word in, he ran towards the window and hurled himself through it, breaking the glass and sending shards over the rug.

She would've laughed, had she not been in that situation. Laughed, possibly having tears in her eyes from giggling so hard. But... she couldn't. Not with her there. Andi looked back at Undyne, the woman crossing her arms and glaring at her with anger burning in her yellow eye. "So why are YOU here? To rub your victory in my face? To humiliate me even further? IS THAT IT?"

Her voice decided to up and go, and Andi furiously shook her head in the negative. Undyne frowned, whether it was from the answer, or from the sudden quietness of her, she couldn't tell. "Then why are you here?" She asked suspiciously. "… wait, I get it. You think that I'm gonna be friends with you, huh? Right?"

"U, um... y-yes?" She wished she sounded more confident in that response. _Frisk, kid, you owe me one._

"Really? How delightful! I accept! Let's all frolic in the fields of friendship! NOT! Why would I EVER be friends with YOU!?" She clenched her fist, bearing her sharp teeth. "If you weren't my houseguest, I'd beat you up right now! You're the enemy of everyone's hopes and dreams! I WILL NEVER BE YOUR FRIEND. Now get out of my house!" _Now, that's something I will get behind._

Andi heard movement outside of the house, and Papyrus' skull poked through the window with a disappointed frown. "DANG! WHAT A SHAME… I THOUGHT UNDYNE COULD BE FRIENDS WITH YOU. BUT I GUESS… I OVERESTIMATED HER." __Is… is he baiting her? __"SHE'S JUST NOT UP TO THE CHALLENGE." _Papyrus...? _He could not be baiting her, could he?

"CHALLENGE!?" Just as quickly as he had appeared, Papyrus ran away again, his footsteps getting quieter until they couldn't hear him anymore__. __"What!? Papyrus! Wait a second…!" She turned back to Andi, hands clenched in tight fists. _Yep. That was baiting._ "Darnit! He thinks I can't be friends with YOU!?" Undyne let loose a roaring laugh, taking the human by surprise. "Fuhuhu! What a joke! I could make friends with a wimpy loser like you and that kid any day!" _Wimpy? _"I'll show him!" Undyne continued. "Listen up, human. We're not just going to be friends. We're going to be…" she raised her hands to her face, grinning. "BESTIES. I'll make you like me so much… you won't be able to think of anyone else!" Think of anyone else? _With the stuff I've learned, Frisk and Sans are tied for that right now. _"Fuhuhuhu! It's the PERFECT REVENGE!" Undyne clapped her hands together, the smile finally one that wasn't full of annoyance at the sight of her. "Why don't you have a seat?"

"Oh, s-sure." Keeping an eye on Undyne, she walked to the table, taking a seat. Was she comfortable? Far from it. She was downright terrified of being alone with Undyne, and she wanted to smack Frisk for putting her through this.

"Comfortable? I'll get you something to drink." Undyne walked over to the fridge, and took out several boxes and bottles, placing them along the counter. "All set! What would you like?" Andi looked at the ingredients, eyes narrowed. _I can't make out some of the labels. _She inched back on the seat, ready to stand up and walk over, only for Undyne to throw a spear at the table, cracking it in half. The human yelped in alarm, dropping back down in her seat. "HEY! DON'T GET UP! YOU'RE THE GUEST! SIT DOWN AND ENJOY YOURSELF!"

"Y-yes, Undyne!" Andi stuttered, leaning away in reflex.

Undyne threw her a hasty smile, an attempt to ease the woman's nerves when she saw her action. "Um, why not just point to what you want? You can use the spear!"

Andi took the large spear in her hands, finding that it was heavier than it looked. Undyne had broken it in half during their fight like it was nothing. _But it's energy, right? It feels like metal, but it's not. _She scanned the food on the table, and pointed the weapon at the tea box. Hot chocolate, if that was correct, would have been a nice option. Tea, on the other hand, would help sooth her stress. "Could we have that, Undyne?"

"… tea, huh? Coming right up!" She took out a kettle and placed it on the stove, and put the tea leaves inside. "It'll take a moment for the water to boil." The two stood there in an awkward silence, seconds ticking by as they waited for the tea to be readied. Suddenly, a loud whistling came from the pot. "Okay, it's all done!" Undyne grabbed a couple mugs, and filled them up. She walked over and sat them down, one in front of her and one on the other side of the table where she sat. "Careful, it's hot."

Andi glanced at the cup, seeing the slight steam drift off it. _I'd rather not burn my tongue. There's no harm in waiting a little, right? _"It's not THAT hot!" Undyne yelled. "Just drink it already!" _Apparently, there is. _She took the cup and brought it to her lips, taking a small sip. The tea was burning, and she was right in that it would burn her tongue… but other than that, it was pretty good. _What flavor is this one? _She couldn't recall the tea from the types she had on the Surface. Was it one that was specialized in the Underground?

"It's pretty good, right? Nothing but the best for my ABSOLUTELY PRECIOUS FRIEND!" Grinning, she took her own sip. Once she lowered the cup, she looked at its contents with an amused smile. "Hey… you know… it's kind of strange you chose THAT tea."

"Really?" Andi asked, giving the cup a quick look. "Why's that?"

"Golden flower tea… that's Asgore's favorite kind." __Oh. I-I didn't know that. ___Besides the few things she had picked up from conversations, MK's especially coming to mind, she did not know that much about Asgore. His goal, yes, but besides that... it was rather small. _"Actually, now that I think about it… you and your sister kind of remind me of him! You're all TOTAL weenies!"

"Undyne, if you don't mind me asking," Andi began. "Isn't he the ruler of the Underground? Not that it sounds like you're calling him weak-" _b__ecause I have no idea why Asgore is a weenie. _"-but why use that word to describe him?"

Undyne looked away, drifting off. Andi took another sip from her tea, the heat finally easing up. Or was it that she had already burned her tongue, so the temperature didn't affect her anymore? "Y'know, I was a pretty hotheaded kid, when I was your friend's age. Once, to prove I was the strongest, I tried to fight Asgore. Emphasis on TRIED. I couldn't land a single blow on him! And worse, the whole time, he refused to fight back!" She looked down at her mug again, frowning at her reflection in the liquid. "I was so humiliated… afterwards, he apologized and said something goofy. 'Excuse me, do you want to know how to beat me?' I said yes, and from then on, he trained me. Year, after year. One day, during practice, I finally knocked him down. I felt… bad." She looked back up at Andi, her smile holding back a laugh. "But he was beaming… I had never seen someone more proud to get their butt kicked."

"He means a lot to you, doesn't he?" Andi asked.

"I suppose so..." Undyne nodded. There was something else, in that answer, that wasn't said aloud. Training her, knowing her for so long... it would almost seem like Asgore was like a father figure to her. "Anyway, long story short, he kept training me… and now I'm the head of the Royal Guard! So I'm the one who gets to train dorks to fight! Like, uh, Papyrus."

"Undyne, you... you and I both know that he's not guard material, right?" Andi asked. It was something that lurked in the back of her head for a while, and she figured it did not hurt to ask her. She was the leader of the Royal Guard. "Papyrus, he's just… too innocent. He could never bring himself to really harm someone." When she had fallen during their fight, he had let up on his attacks until she regained herself. His attacks were difficult, exhausting, and he would do well in the Guard, but...

"I know… he's not weak!" Undyne said quickly. "He's actually pretty freaking tough! But you're right. He's… he's too innocent and nice!"

"He'd never be able to do severe harm to anyone," Andi mused. "He can't... do what the Royal Guard had done to humans in the past." The vague description Sans gave them, of what had happened to the green soul... Papyrus would never do that.

"... so you know that much, huh? But yeah, that's sort of what I mean. I mean, look, he was SUPPOSED to capture you two… and he ended up being FRIENDS with you instead! I could NEVER send him into battle!" Undyne frowned, distressed at the mental image. "He'd get ripped into little smiling shreds. That's part of why… I started teaching him how to cook, you know? So, um, maybe he can do something else with his life." Her eyes widened, and looked at the clock up on the wall. "Oh, sorry, I was talking for so long..."

"It's okay, Undyne." Andi placed my empty mug down on the table. "I think it's pretty nice of you to help Papyrus out."

"Thanks... Andi, was it?" She nodded. "You're out of tea, aren't you? I'll get you some more." Undyne walked over to the counter, before coming to a halt. "Wait a second. Papyrus… his cooking lesson… HE WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW! And if HE'S not here to have it..." _oh, no. No, please tell me this isn't going-_"YOU'LL HAVE TO HAVE IT FOR HIM!"

_Yep, it's going this way. _Undyne jumped into the air, and ran across the kitchen counter, knocking over the food. The bottles spilled all over the checkered floor, and a cracked ceramic container fell in front of the table. "That's right! NOTHING has brought Papyrus and I closer than cooking! Which means that if I give you his lesson… WE'LL BECOME CLOSER THAN YOU CAN EVER IMAGINE!" Undyne laughed, glaring down at Andi with such extreme energy that Andi was more concerned than when she was running for her life. "Afraid!? We're gonna be best friends!"

Undyne jumped off the counter, and landed beside her. She grabbed the top of her head, nails digging into her skull, and leaped over the table to the counter again, taking her with. Dropping her on shaky legs, she grinned at the human. "Let's start with the sauce!" She reached into the fridge, taking out an armful of vegetables and sent them tumbling onto the counter. "Envision these vegetables as your greatest enemy! Now! Pound them to dust with your fists!"

"Okay." Frisk said that tea and cooking would result from the hangout, and she wasn't wrong. A little... weird, in how it was going, but it was going according to her plan. _Perfect. _Andi reared back a fist, and threw it forward full force into the vegetables… and knocked over a single tomato. The fruit was sent spiraling across the counter, and smacked into the wall across from her.

"YEAH! YEAH! Our hearts are uniting against these healthy ingredients! NOW IT'S MY TURN! NGAHHHH!" Undyne slammed her fists into the veggies, splattering them against the wall, and our clothes... and faces. "Uhh, we'll just scrape this into a bowl later," she grinned, swiping at the tomato sauce that got around her eyes. "But for NOW!" She stomped over to the stove, and fished out a large pot with a wooden spoon already inside, and then reached into an above cupboard for a box of pasta. Moving closer to her and wiping at the sauce around her own face, Undyne flashed a fanged eager grin. "… we add the noodles! Homemade noodles are the best! BUT I JUST BUY STORE-BRAND! THEY'RE THE CHEAPEST!"

"Cheaper, and we don't have the time to make them," Andi added. "Have you tried making homemade noodles with Papyrus?"

"I don't have the right tools. As for the box, uhh, just put them in the pot." She took the box from Undyne, and turned to the pot. _Hmm... dunk it. Definitely. _With a smirk, she brought the box over her head, and hurled the pasta into the pot as hard as she could, including the box. The noodles clattered in the container, sending the spoon spinning around the edge.

"YEAH! I'M INTO IT!" Undyne cheered. "Alright! Now it's time to stir the pasta! As a general rule of thumb, the more you stir… THE BETTER IT IS! Ready? Let's do it!" She took hold of the spoon, and started stirring. Should she have taken the box out of the pot...? Eh, probably. Nothing about what she was doing was appetizing. Yet... she was having fun. Fun with Undyne. "Stir harder!" Undyne shouted. Giving her a look, Andi grabbed the spoon with both hands, and picked up the pace. "HARDER!" She sped up more, her entire body now following the near-wild motions in stirring the pasta. "HARDER! Ugh, let me do it!" She took the spoon, and threw it behind her back, crashing into the glass shards on the rug. Instead, raising a hand over her head, she summoned a new blue spear. Clutching it with both hands, she smashed it into the pot, over and over, until the metal was crushed and water spilled out over the stove's top. The noodles, not cooked, were broken up into small pieces, and the box was a soggy mess.

"Fuhuhuhu! That's the stuff! Alright, now the final step: TURN UP THE HEAT! Let the stove top symbolize your passion! Let your hopes and dreams turn into burning fire! READY? Don't hold anything back!" _Turn up the heat? _There-there were two ways this would go. Either she would turn it up, and it would explode in her face, or Undyne would take over, and it would explode in her face.

_Either way, this won't end well for me. _"Got it." Andi reached for the correct knob on the stove, and started cranking the temperature. Flames, not the normal glow of a red hot burner, jumped out from under the destroyed pot. "HOTTER! HOTTER, DARNIT!" Undyne cheered her on, Andi's face paling at her actions. _Please, Undyne, any time now! _"Wait, that's too-!" the pot exploded, and she felt a pair of hands grab her shoulders and throw her to the ground as a burst of heat ripped through the air. _Wow. _Blinking out the white light in her vision, she gaped at the house around her.

"I... sorry, Undyne." The house was on fire. She... set Undyne's house on fire. "Really, I-I didn't-" a scaly hand was held out in front of her face, and she hesitated before grabbing hold. Undyne lifted her to her feet, and they looked at the ruins of the pot. The metal was a blackened and melted wreck, soot scattered across the counter and wall, and the burnt smell of food met her nose.

"Ah. Man, no wonder Papyrus sucks at cooking," Undyne grinned, wiping off the black soot from her face. "Don't sweat about it, human. At least I got you out of the way in time, right?" She had a point. If she had her sweater on, her skin wouldn't have gotten nearly as burnt as she would've in her tank top. _Spared me from some pretty bad injuries. _"So what's next? Scrapbooking? Friendship bracelets? … oh, who am I kidding." Her face fell, and she stared at her feet in shame. _Undyne? _"I really screwed this up, didn't I? I can't force you to like me, human. Some people just don't get along with each other. I understand if you feel that way about me."

"And if we can't be friends… that's okay… because… if we're not friends…" Undyne glared at her, jumping back and summoning a spear. "IT MEANS I CAN DESTROY YOU WITHOUT REGRET!" Her red and blue drifted out, and Undyne looked down at the ground. "I've been defeated… my house is in shambles… I even failed to befriend you. That's it. I don't care if you're my guest anymore," she snarled. "One final rematch! All out on both sides! IT'S THE ONLY WAY I CAN REGAIN MY LOST PRIDE! NOW COME ON! HIT ME WITH ALL YOU'VE GOT!"

How... how was she to handle this mess!? She didn't want to fight Undyne! She only just managed to get used to being in the same space as her, and now she wanted her to fight her in a burning building!? "I-I... I don't...!"

"...?" Undyne studied her, and her eye widened. What? What was she seeing? "... you're scared of me, aren't you?"

_Scared of...? _"I... ye... yeah. I am." Undyne's spear vanished, and she walked closer to the human, still leaning back and threatening to dash should she feel the need to.

"Going to take a guess here, and say that this was your friend's idea for you to come here alone." Curse Frisk and her planning, and Undyne and how good she was at reading her. "Why are you afraid of me?" The question, it was not coming off as mean, or forceful. Undyne was genuinely curious.

"I..." Andi couldn't say. She couldn't just... come out, and say that she had killed her in another timeline. _Frisk... she must've been killed before, by her friends. How did she not let th__is__ get to her? _"You were the first person to actively try to harm us. Before... we got through fights with ease. With... laughs, and pets, and singing. You were... the first challenge we faced, and..."

"I must've hurt you pretty bad back there, huh?" She... had no idea. "You know what? I don't actually want to hurt you either. At first, I hated your stupid saccharine schtick, but… your refusal to fight, it… reminded me of someone I used to train with. Now I know you aren't just some wimpy loser." She gave a bright grin, and swung an arm around my shoulders, pulling her into a rough hug. "You're a wimpy loser with a big heart! Just like him…" she released her, allowing the air to rush back into her lungs. "Listen, Andi. It seems that you, your friend, and Asgore are fated to fight. But knowing him… he probably doesn't want to. Talk to him. I'm sure you can persuade him to let you two go home. Eventually, some mean human will fall down here… and I'll take THEIR soul instead. That makes sense, right?"

"I suppose so. Mercy given deserves mercy in return." She brushed soot off the back of her arms. "Undyne, I... would you like to be my friend? For real?" Would she get over the nervousness she had around Undyne? After what she had gone through with her, chatting over tea and failing to make pasta... perhaps. She was intense, but... she reminded her of herself. Insanely protective of what she cared for, albeit a little scary when push comes to shove. _Frisk's idea, not mine. _

"Sure, hu-Andi. Heh. I'd like that. Oh, and if you either of you DO hurt Asgore… I'll take the human souls… cross the barrier… and beat the hell out of you! That's what friends are for, right?" How she said that with such a cheerful tone at the end, Andi had no idea, but even with the implied threat, Andi laughed anyway. _Guess __her __plan went well after all._

"Fuhuhuhu!" Undyne laughed, before grabbing my hand. "Now let's get the hell out of this flaming house!" She dragged the human to the door and pressed a button on the side, only for it to get stuck halfway. The upper part of the teeth almost went up the entire way, but the lower part hardly budged. Keeping certain that she didn't let her clothes get caught on the fangs, Andi carefully stepped through the gap, Undyne following right behind her. "Well, that was fun, huh? We'll have to hang out again another time…! But, uh, somewhere else I guess."

They looked back at Undyne's house, seeing the flames fly out the broken windows, drying up the damp ground around them. "Yeah… we might have gone a little overboard."

"In the meantime, I guess I'll go hang with Papyrus. So if you need me, drop by Snowdin, okay!? OH! And if you ever need help… just give Papyrus a ring, okay? Since we're in the same spot, I'll be able to talk too! Well, see ya later, punk… OH! WAIT!" Undyne reached into her pocket, and pulled out an envelope. "This is sudden, but… can you deliver something for me? Papyrus suggested that I ask you. But he told me when I still hated you, so… uh! Anyway! Here! Just take it!"

"Sure, I can take it. But who's it for?" She knew some names, but unless it was someone minor, she wouldn't have been able to do much.

"It's addressed to Dr. Alphys..." Undyne trailed off, and they looked towards the cavern's exit, hearing footsteps rush up to them. _They're too light to be Papyrus'... huh?_

"Frisk?" The child slowed to a stop once she got close enough, panting heavily and resting her hands on her knees. "Di-did you run all the way from Hotland to get here?"

"Ran... to the boat... and then to here... repairing robots... is tiring. Metal... heavy." The kid was close to collapsing on the ground, gasping for air. "How... was the... hangout?" _Unbelievable_. Frisk was that concerned for her that she came out to check on her. A little late, but the thought was there. _Hold on. _She reached into the bag, taking it off for a second, and handed the kid one of the two water bottles with her. The plastic was squished on one side, but had not broken open. Smiling, Frisk undid the top and drank its contents, before pouring some on the back of her neck.

"What do you think?" Undyne asked. Frisk looked at the flaming fish house, putting the lid back on and handed it back to Andi. "Are you going back to Hotland?" Frisk nodded. "Here. Take this to Dr. Alphys." She motioned to Andi, and the child's guardian handed her the letter. "Well, what are you waiting for, punk!? GET GOING!"

"I... o-okay. Andi... c-catch up with me... later." Frisk took in several deep breaths, and sprinted back the way she came, letter held tightly to her chest towards the direction of the ferry. Undyne and her watched the kid vanish from view, until she focused back on her again. "What are you going to do?"

"Me?" What... what did she want to do next? They had hung out with Papyrus and Undyne. The letter Frisk was delivering to Alphys must have been another variable to achieve the ending. _So... after that, is everything ready? _"I think I'll head back to their house too." Why? There wasn't anything she wanted to talk to Sans about. Even with the reminder of what Frisk possibly had done, she... she didn't really want to bring that up to him. It'd just be a nice way to waste time until Frisk was ready for them to get going again. _It's just a letter delivery, right? How long could that possibly take? _"How can I get back there? The Ferry Person?"

"There's two ways, actually. She started off back into the larger cavern, and Andi hurried after her. "You can take that way, or you can go and have the bird fly you over." _Bird? _She pointed to the right, and on the ground, a tiny yellow bird sat by the edge of the water. The gap from one side to the next was not huge, and she could easily jump over it with a running start.

"The bird... flies you over?" She heard that correctly, right? That bird?

Undyne shrugged. "No one has the heart to break their spirit. It'll NEVER say no, and it'll never give up when someone asks for a lift. Either way will lead you back to Snowdin, but the boat only takes one person at a time. At the same time, it's a walk if you take that direction. See ya!" With a wave, she headed off in the direction of Gerson's shop and the walkway to the river. Andi watched her go, and looked back at the bird.

"No harm, I suppose." She walked over to the animal, its head swiveling around to look up at her with beady black eyes. "Can you fly me over to the other side?"

Its eyes sparkled at the request, flying up with its small wings and landed on her head. Its tiny talons wrapped around ponytail, and furiously flapped its wings. Her boots were lifted up off the ground, heels first, and her toes barely scraped the dirt under her. The bird was determined though, furiously so. Even if it could not lift her up all the way, it started off towards the other side with all its strength.

Andi's feet missed the water by inches, struggling to keep herself from swaying to make things more difficult for her transporter. She breathed a sigh once they were just past the water, and the bird lowered her to the damp soil. Letting go of her hair, it fluttered back down to the ground, chest pumping from its efforts. "Thank you." The bird chirped, giving a happy little hop at her words, and settled down for a well-deserved rest.

It wasn't a new location, like she had imagined. The bird had led her to part of the marsh area where Sans had set up his telescope. _Time to start walking then. _She wandered past the telescope, and past through the series of tunnels and caves that made up Waterfall. Things were going well. Things were... she was almost through the Underground. She was almost back to the Surface. Her, and Frisk, and everyone else. _How would that go, monsters living on the Surface? __What world would that be like? _"Heh," she shrugged. "Only one way to find out."

Every area of the Underground had a color theme. Snowdin was a combination of dark blue, green, and grey with white; the Ruins were purple; Hotland was red and orange; Waterfall was a series of dark colors, mostly black with the bright blue of the flora. She had gotten used to that by now, knowing how certain areas looked, and the botany and monsters that lived there.

Had she paid the slightest more attention, she would have spotted the yellow and green that lurked just a feet behind her, watching her with a face-splitting grin.

* * *

**Until next time!**

**Angel**


	16. Fight

**Disclaimer: This chapter is skipping a little all over the place, just like the Metatton fight, so in each section, the thinking is done by a different person. Andi, Frisk, and so on. It should be easy to follow. **

**I don't own Undertale.**

"Speaking"

_Thinking_

**Saving**

* * *

The walk back was uneventful, and unlike the last time she passed through Waterfall, Andi felt much more at peace. Any monsters she had passed by gave her friendly smiles and the occasional wave, not one going out of their way to engage in a fight. Perhaps that was because, in a sense, Frisk and her had cleared Waterfall. They had made peace with Undyne, and after making their way through all of the major areas of the Underground, no one saw them as dangers anymore. _Saving, loading, and now that. _"It's too close to a video game," she mumbled, giving a quick head shake to dismiss the idea. _Weird._

Over wooden walkways, marshes, retracing her steps back through the path Undyne had hunted them along. It took less time backtracking than going through the first time, and soon, Andi reached the room with the bridges made of flowers. _Almost there. _"I better get this back on before reaching Snowdin." Dropping the bag, she began to shuffle through the contents, pulling out the sweater she had buried inside back in Hotland. "Need to give Frisk hers back too," she mused, sliding it back on and tugging her ponytail free from the collar. It was still fall outside, and while they were far from winter-and still never saw snow-it would be cold out on Mount Ebott's surface.

Zippering it shut, she stopped to look at several newly grown seeds. From what she had seen throughout Waterfall, it was only this area that had the bridge seeds. Their purpose was to get from one area to the next, but... was that all? The Underground had its secrets, did that include hidden areas? _Like the Temmie Village?_ "Hmm." She scooped up the four seeds, the plant material sticking to her sweater. "Now, let's have a look."

Surveying the area, one piece of ground, down towards the area where Frisk had launched the seeds, stood out from the rest. A small stretch of dirt, from the larger section she stood on, reaching the wall at the end. A single wooden sign stood on a rock between the earth and the wooden bridge, but the larger area of water was what had her attention. "I wonder..."

One by one, Andi knelt down and released the seeds, watching them drift to the far end of the cavern to a space she could not quite make out. Sure enough, the flowers bloomed once they rested in a line, and she hurried back over to them. Stepping on the petals, she kept a hand against the wall and followed along the newly created path.

A wooden bridge was what the flower seeds had hit, stepping onto more stable footing as she followed towards her mysterious destination. Off to her right, once she reached the end of the bridge which ended at the rock wall of the narrow cave, was a room. The contents of which, was a single echo flower and a bench, its white coloring faded with time. "... this is it?" She... was expecting more. Dropping the bag by the corner of the wall, opposite of the flower and bench, she walked towards them. Was there something special about it? _What do you have to say? _She touched the soft petals of the glowing flower, and predictably, a voice flowed through.

"I just wasn't ready for the responsibility." Responsibility of... what? What did that mean? _And why did the voice seem so... sad? _

Going to the bench, and hoping to find something else, she gave the seat a quick scan. Sure enough, there was something odd. Just as out of place as the flower's remark. "A quiche?" Spinach and egg, from the looks of it. "Who would get rid of you?" Grabbing the pan, she pulled the food out from underneath the bench. It was cold, and had not been cut into. "Well, I'm not sure who left you here, but you're coming with me." A quiche was food, and if the skeletons and Undyne were all going to be at the house, they could all enjoy it together. Heck, anything left over, Alphys and Frisk could enjoy too. _The power of free food compels you._

Taking it over to the bag, she knelt down and began to carefully fit it inside. "... oh." Buried at the far bottom, underneath Frisk's sweater... the knife. _Almost forgot about that. _There was no threat anymore involving the weapon, right? If so, tossing out there, where no one would find it, wouldn't hurt. "I mean, wouldn't hurt her" she corrected herself. "It's not like he'd ever find it."

"Are you sure about that?"

Her throat closed up, straightening up from her hunched position. "What's wrong, friend? Not happy to see me?" _I jinxed it. _Giving a sigh, she looked over her shoulder, staring at the voice's owner. Flowey. She had hoped that she wouldn't be seeing him again, at the very least, not until Frisk was with her. _The monster kid's him, huh? What an experiment. _How a possibly sweet child could turn into... that. "Shouldn't you be with Frisk at Dr. Alphys'?"

"Shouldn't you be bothering her instead?" She retorted, voice barely loud enough for him to hear. "Whatever you hoped for us to do hasn't happened. No one's died, we haven't killed anyone. So why are you bothering me?" Flowey had to have been following them. That was obvious in the Ruins, and he knew about Alphys and Frisk. Did that mean he also knew about her talks with Sans and Frisk? _What are you hiding __this time__?_

Flowey's smile twisted a little, and Andi mentally kicked herself for not keeping her mouth shut. _Shouldn't have responded. _"Why am I bothering you? I think you know why."

She had a hunch. A few, in fact. "Because... I'm an anomaly. I was never in any timeline before this, and therefore, something you can't predict." There was no use in hiding it; Flowey listened. Watched from the shadows. Sans must have had some vague idea about her before Frisk reset. Did Flowey?

"Well, what do you know? Guess you aren't as big of an idiot as I thought you were." Flowey's look brightened, giving a nearly-innocent smile. Had she have no idea what the flower was capable of, she might have actually bought it. "Do you really think Frisk will stop after she gets her happy ending? Not hopping back to the beginning and restarting it all over again?" The flower's eyes narrowed, leaning forward. _What? _"You've figured it out, huh? What your friend's really capable of?"

"... I won't ask her what she's done," Andi replied. She wasn't whispering, but her voice was low; a warning. "If she wants to tell me, she can, but I won't say anything if I don't have to. Now I'll make this clear, and I'll say this only once. If you're trying to pressure me into killing, to betray Frisk and my friends, then you're out of luck. It isn't going to happen. Now leave me alone." The bag was pulled closer to her, one arm wrapped around the worn material.

"Leave?" The weed repeated the word, giving a slight giggle. "Nah, I don't think I will."

"What do you mean, you wo-?" Something was holding her down, pinning her to the dirt. Quickly looking away from Flowey, Andi saw the vine wrap around her feet, looping around and holding them to the ground from where it came from. Abandoning the bag, she grabbed hold of the plant, yanking at it to try and loosen its hold. "Flowey!?" _Come on! Budge!_

"So, you won't fight. Hehe. Looks like little old me will have to show you how then." Flowey winked, a ring of bullets forming around him and fanged smile stretching. Two white pupils were visible in his eager black eyes, and Andi wished she had followed Undyne's example and taken the ferry. "Now then... **are you r****eady**?" She really... wished she had.

* * *

"What do you think, Chara? Slow or fast?" The children got out of the broken elevator, Frisk squeezing through the gap between the doors to get into the lab as Chara drifted through the door itself. Why it ran out of power, she never really knew. Flowey affected the elevator ride up, so was it him there too, or just poor electricity?

**Taking your time should be fine. **Chara closed her eyes, mumbling numbers under her breath. A habit, the two noticed, she shared with Alphys. **Hour max. **She looked around the dreary room, eyes trailed down to look at the long hallway to their left, and waved the other girl onward. **Come on. **

This was the final step to a pacifist ending. Explore the True Lab, and learn Alphys' secret and the truth behind Flowey. A burst of nervous butterflies erupted in her stomach at the reminder, and she bit her lip. This-it would work, her plan. She... she would bring back Asriel. Everyone would get their happily ever after, and the resets would stop. _They'll stop... I promised. _

**Do you want to read the signs? **Frisk snapped to reality, seeing Chara drifting backwards as she walked, keeping an eye on the computerized screens that lit up as they passed by, bathing the hall in a green glow. **If you want, I could. Just like old times.**

"No, I-I'm good." Chara shrugged, turning around and continuing down the path, pausing at the turn in the corridor to wait for her. The room they stepped into was one they were familiar with, a few plants, a vending machine, and a door that would remain locked until they rounded up the keys. And of course, a save point. Her fingers dipped into the warm light, and she gave a small smile at the bookmark in her progress. "Left or right?"

**... left. **The two progressed to the side, keeping next to each other the entire way. **Frisk, may I ask you something? **The living child looked up at her, head tilted curiously. **Are you worried about your friend?**

_Andi? _It was the Underground, so a part of her was always worried. For her safety, and now for Andi's too. But what worries were there now, when they had almost reached the end? "Chara, is this about finding out-?"

She cut her off. **It's not. **Chara looked down at the tiled floor. **I know, what you're aiming for. Wanting to bring him back, to keep her safe. But we are almost at the end of your journey; to meet dad, and face off with Asriel. Frisk, even though you know he won't meet you until the end, are you certain that Flowey wouldn't try something with Andi with you down here and out of the way?**

Frisk's came to a stop, almost falling forward with the sudden lack of momentum. "Flow-do you think?" She hadn't thought about that. When she dashed away after briefly visiting Undyne, Andi was still there. Undyne would have gone to Papyrus' house until she and him went to check on her and Alphys. She figured she would have just stayed with Sans until then. But hearing Chara's words... it left a knot in her stomach, and the air felt a lot cooler in the dark room, the dust much more thick. Suffocating. "Sh-she must've followed Undyne back. She's probably in Snowdin." That was it. She was hanging out with Sans, and would meet with me when they reached the hall in the Capital. Flowey wasn't with Andi. H-he wasn't.

**Hmm. **Chara nodded at her words, and looked over to another sign, mounted just above several medical tables. The lab always gave her eerie vibes. When she first 'woke up', when she learned of what had happened down there after her death, she almost hurled. Though, how a ghost could do so could be debated. The feeling was there, but nothing would happen. Near-corpses being injected with determination, and their beings breaking down-melting, fusing together to make some Frankenstein's monster. Everyone's personalities were still there, their memories, but it... it wasn't right. It wasn't natural.

"Ch-Chara?" She looked back to Frisk, who was now staring at her with terrified eyes. "Can you go check on her? Please?"

**Me? **She pointed to herself. _No, the other spectre haunting me! _Chara frowned at the sarcasm, but looked back the way they came. Were the two of them just being paranoid? After all, what were the chances that he actually went after the older human? Yet... yet this was the Underground. Chances... usually were never that good down there. **Can you handle the rest by yourself?**

She'd be doing this so many times she'd lost count! Of course she could! "Yes, now go!" Frisk went to push Chara, only for the concept of a ghost to slip her mind, phasing through the girl's torso and running into the wall on the other side. "Oomph!"

**Hehe. Alright. I'll be right back. **If her concern was justified, she couldn't do much if he found Andi before she did. What would she be able to do as a spirit? **I'll have to make a stop first. Be back soon. **She flashed a quick, hopefully reassuring smile to Frisk, and teleported away from the lab.

* * *

His feet dangled almost a foot off the floor, absentmindedly swinging back and forth. It was a waiting game now, judging in his mind how much longer until he would have to move to the hall to judge the kid and her friend. _yep. any time now._

Frisk... was true to her word. No one got hurt, no one was dusted. Everyone was happy, and the Underground was peaceful. At that point, it was just a matter of making sure she never reset. Again. Ever. _and what then? what's after that? _He... wasn't sure. The longest they usually stayed on the Surface, when they did reach there, always varied. The longest was almost two months, the shortest wasn't even a week. Sans never really figured out what to do when he got there, because it never lasted. However, if he had to guess... maybe a job at Grillby's? Or perhaps he'd work in a lab with Alphys. He had some non-existent brains in his skull. May as well start using them. _heh. then again, paps might start expecting more of me. _

Papyrus... perhaps he would take online courses. Earn his own degree, or maybe even start taking cooking courses and work in a restaurant. There was a lot he had to start planning. **Sans. **Each reset, living conditions usually varied too. If they had enough money at the start, he would get them their own house. If not, he and his brother would live with Toriel. **Sans.**

And what then, with the kid and her guardian? Frisk always stayed with Toriel, her room across the hall from his own if they ended up living with them. With the proximity, and his difficult sleeping, he would sometimes hear her talk at night. There would be faint choked sobs, and when it started happening too often... reset. Frisk, she... she really didn't want to bring them back, he knew that. But she did it anyway. _can't you get it through your head that there's no point in tryin', kid? _**Skeleton!**

Then there was Andi. Now that was a mystery. Even at the end of this timeline, Sans still couldn't figure out her purpose in being down there. True, Frisk had said it was because she didn't want to be alone, but was that really it? The kid never was bothered before travelling solo, and even then, she had that cursed demon child hovering over her shoulder. _so... why are you he-? _

**HEY, COMEDIAN!**

Sans straightened up at the loud shout, the closeness rattling through his head, and looked around his lab in alarm. Nothing. Nobody was in there, and as far as he was aware of, only the kid was aware... of... the kid. "eh... hehe. wow, ghosty. you sure know how to make an entrance." A small scoff, and with a quick flare of his magic, he could make out the faint outline and details of one deceased human child.

He... Sans never really knew how he could detect the Chara. Maybe it was due to his ability to check people; read their LV and EXP. He did only start becoming aware of her presence once Frisk's LV started rising, seeing a shadow hover behind her with glowing red eyes. _does it matter? _Whatever it was, it certainly paid off in the long run. "so, where's the kid?"

**Not important. Where's the human? **Sans blinked, put off by the question. Andi? Wasn't she with Frisk?

"i thought she was with you," he told the phantom, keeping a steady eye on her silhouette.

**Yeah, well, you thought wrong. Undyne didn't stick around long here before taking Papyrus to the dump. Andi was never with us, and they never said anything about her either. We just thought she arrived after that and hung out with you, but... **Chara's voice dropped for a moment, and if he wasn't studying for her appearance so closely, he could've sworn she had vanished altogether. **Are you certain that she is not in the house?**

"pretty sure she's not." He hopped off the counter, fuzzy slippers hitting the ground with a soft thud. "... you think the weed got to her."

**He knows something's up. Somewhere from Undyne's house to yours, not on the main path. **Chara zoomed closer, about a foot from his face, and he had to force himself not to step back. Without Frisk, the girl was pretty much harmless. She couldn't touch anything, and while her words could get to him, get into his mind, that was all she had going. **Think, comedian. What areas would most monsters not be aware of?**

Areas that no one knew...? "i can think of a few places. you can teleport, right? i'll start where you last saw her. if you find her, come get me."

**Get you? And how am I supposed to do that? Waterfall isn't exactly a small area. **His sockets narrowed at the sass.

"you got any ideas? i don't trust you any more than i can throw you." And he had thrown her, right across the hall before the throne room. _ergh... _"but you hangin' over me won't make progress. find her, then find me. now go." Chara made a small noise, not happy with how he phrased it, but her form vanished from his view after a few seconds. _a__nd... she's gone. _"phew."

Sans glanced around the lab, eye lights staying on the draped machine in the corner. Never, as far as he was aware, did Flowey ever attack Frisk. That was before, though, before another human soul was put into effect. Before another human fell into the Underground. The timeline being different, what was once something of a good thing, had finally caught up them. "hang on, andi. we're comin'." _you better hope she's in one piece, flower._

* * *

"Golly, you sure are stubborn! Not as determined as her, though, but you're hanging on a lot longer than Frisk did when she first started."

_And how many times would that be? _Andi hissed, gripping the hiking bag to her chest. Stubborn? Perhaps. Determined? She did not want to die again. Even if her feelings towards Undyne had improved, the feeling of being struck down haunted her, and motivated her to keep herself out of harm's way. Her body, and her soul. Even now, after being pelted with those stupid bullets of his, the red and blue swirling heart still managed to keep itself together. Countless tiny cuts covered her arms and legs, tearing through her sweater and jeans; the bag protected her torso.

The hiking pole lay abandoned on the other side of the room, one of Flowey's vines ripping it away. Why? If he was so persistent in making her attack him, then why take away her weapon? "Y-you...!"

"Hmm? What's that?" He burrowed under the ground, popping back up closer to my head. "I didn't quite hear that."

"Y-you... won't make... me crack. I-I won't... m-murder anyone!" The blood loss was starting to get to her, words coming out in gaps. "I p-promised!"

"Promise, huh? And how's that going for you?" How she wanted to wipe that smile off his face. "You think you've figured out as much as you deemed necessary, but you're still wanting the full picture. Defending her when you don't know what she's capable of." The white face twitched violently, and Andi had to hold back a shriek as the facial features contorted to mimic Frisk. Same eye shape, same borderline neutral smile. "You don't know anything about me." His voice... oh, god, he even sounded like her.

"St-stop it! Stop sounding like her!" Another violent twitch, stem contorting in sharp jagged movements, and Flowey's face returned to normal. "I know, I know nothing. I know that. And I-I am fine with that. But I will defend her..." _fighting... was a last resort. _It was. It was from the beginning, and even then, she refused to go back on her word. _However... _"a-and I will keep her safe. Never killing, but defending... that's another matter." One arm still holding the bag close, she reached inside and pulled the knife out, its plastic blade faintly reflecting the light of the crystals in the room. Flowey only cocked a brow at the action, until he gave a pleased laugh.

_The hiking pole, my only weapon... he wanted me to do this. _He wanted her to use the knife all along. "Now we're getting somewhere!" He commended, diving back into the dirt and popping back up several steps away. Hand still holding the knife close, she used her other arm to push herself up, supporting her body against the rock wall and stood on shaky bent legs. The bag lay forgotten on the ground near her, as all attention was on Flowey now. "Hehehe! Now, are you ready to play for real this time?"

Her fingers tightened on the handle, not giving a verbal answer. _Frisk, you better be safe, wherever you are. _Whether it was with Undyne, Alphys, or some passing monster, anywhere was better than right there. Bullets fired at her, and steadying her feet, she swung forward with the knife, the attacks deflected with a solid 'ding' on impact. "Not bad!" Flowey repeated the attack, over, and over, increasing the amount of bullets from five to ten. Each movement hurt, arms ached, and she had no monster food on hand to heal. There was the quiche, but that was far too awkward to reach for; tucked away in the bag. _How many more hits can I take? _She flinched as a stray bullet swiped at her shoulder, stepping out of the way to avoid having it hit her soul dead-on.

Frisk, he said she had done this before. Fighting him. Was it similar to this, bullets and vines? Or was there something else she was missing? _Ugh! _Her head hurt, and she wasn't sure it was from the attacks, but rather how her feelings of the matter were starting to get to her. She trusted Frisk. She loved the kid. But why!? Why wouldn't she say the entire story!? "Aah!" Giving a frustrated shout, she swung at the bullets with more force than before, sending them back at Flowey.

"Hehe." He dove into the dirt, missing his own attacks as they hit the ground where he once was, and reemerged with a smug smile. "What was that about being fine with not knowing everything?"

Her grip on the handle was hard enough to make the plastic break, a tiny crackling sound. She-he really was getting to her. How much longer, mentally or physically, would she last? _I should have just followed Undyne. __I should have taken the b-_

**Close your eyes and get out of the way. **Andi almost missed the attacks aimed at her head, the voice taking her by surprise. _You again? _She hadn't heard from them outside of saving except for the artifact room. How or why were they there, now, of all moments?

**Close your eyes and get ready to get ready to move. **The words changed, but the order remained clear. Get out of the way, and... close her eyes? Why did she have to do that? **You have five seconds. **

"Five?" She whispered, the question hardly loud enough for herself to hear. **Four. **Fo-oh, s-so they were really doing this. What, she didn't get a chance to really register what was being said? Or have the voice explain why?

**Three. **Andi was not being forced to stand in one place. She could easily jump out of the way. Why she had to cover her eyes, she had no idea why. Even with all of that, there was the fact the strange, disembodied voice was ordering her to do this. Something she still had no idea who, or what, it was. Frisk knew though, because Frisk always knew, so it must have been good, right? **Two. **She could listen, throw caution into the wind, and see what would happen, if the voice actually had a plan to get her out of there. If it was wrong, and she made a false belief in the voice, the end results... probably wouldn't be very pretty. On the other side of things, she could ignore it. Continue fighting with Flowey, where she would either make it out of the small cave alive... or not, and have Flowey take her soul before it shattered before her eyes.

Overall, it was clear what the better of two unsavory options were. _I am going to hate this, aren't I?_

**One.**

The final warning given, Andi closed her eyes, and threw her body to the side towards the wooden bridge. "AAH!" A blast of heat erupted behind her, and she felt pieces of the cavern's rock wall break away, striking her back as she hit the ground hard. The sound was loud, ear-piercing, and her hearing was muffled from how close it was. Dirt was smeared over her face where she hit the dirt, the knife still held in her hand. _What... the hell was that? _

She rolled her head to the side. The bright light dying down, leaving only a humming noise echoing around the small space, she found what had attacked. Jaw slowly closing, the massive dragon skull stared down the wall where had stood mere milliseconds ago. Yellow eyes slowly shifted to white, but they did not leave their target. Their target, who had managed to throw himself under the earth to save his stem.

"Hehe... hehe... ha ha ha!" The laughter was borderline unhinged, and he stared through the cloud of dust still occupying the room. "Looks like someone finally decided to show his true colors. Oh, well. I might not have gotten a soul, but it looks like I got something just as good." The skull gave a low growl, mandible threatening to open further and unleash another hot beam of energy. Flowey, not bothered by the threat, threw a small wink and burrowed into the ground without another word.

Her breathing was shaking, staring at the spot where her attacker once stood. That... that was it. I-it was all over. "Heh... h-heh... heh..." Andi looked back to the skull, and flinched. The floating head was staring at her, its own breath still warm from the blast. Scrambling upright, and giving a sharp cry at the pain that raced through her body-her soul still out in the open-she held the knife outright, clenched between her two trembling hands. "St-stay back! Get away from me!"

"lower the knife." Footsteps, crunching the dirt and rocks, broke through the air from behind the skull. If the woman was not certain she was going to pass out from before, now was a very good chance she would. _No..._

Sans, with left socket flaring with the same blue energy she witnessed days ago, stared her down with an emotion she couldn't place. One hand buried in his pockets, the other, held out and fingers posed mid-snap. _Sans? _"put down the knife. now." The skull next to him growled, sharing the same barely veiled anger as the skeleton, eye lights narrowing at the threat in front of them. Threat. She... she was the threat? B-but why was he threatening her after Flowey-_oh, no._

The knife fell, alright. Along with the rest of her, sideways, and Andi's head cracked against the ground as her injuries finally got the best of her and her adrenaline having run out. "... eugh..."

Eyes falling shut, her last moment of consciousness was of Sans walking towards her, the view of the skeleton tilted along with the rest of the world. The knife in front of her face lit up in a blue light, and floated away from view. "... nope." The weapon went soaring across the room towards the water, and another blast of light lit up her vision.

White, a flash of heat and noise, and then... darkness.

* * *

**I figured since Chara is almost always with Frisk, while the thinking is done by her, the focus falls equally on the two of them. They've already been through a lot together, so it seemed to make sense.**

**Until next time!**

**Angel**


	17. Judgment

**Disclaimer: We finally get to see what had happened in the other timelines, and why Frisk has been acting out of sorts. Fair warning, this chapter involves a lot of violence and death. Then again, that is to be expected when fighting Sans.**

**hi ace50: Thank you!**

**I don't own Undertale.**

"Speaking"

_Thinking_

**Saving **

* * *

_... Sans... why? Why did you... Flowey? _Flowey. Vines. Bullet ring after bullet ring, the dragon skull-Sans. _Sans!_ "Aah!"

Andi jolted awake, and immediately winced as a searing pain raced through her head. "Aah! Ow!" Her head was pounding, specifically, the side where she had hit the dirt in the damp cavern. "Ow, ow, ow." _That stings! _Rubbing the tender spot, she looked around at her surroundings, the discomfort letting up to let her see clearly for once. "Wh... I'm standing?"

She... she was. She woke up standing. It was a large hallway, light basking through the stain glass windows bearing the Delta Rune. _Awake when I don't know how I got here... I'm dreaming again. _A shock zipped down her spine at the revelation, and she stepped backwards, hitting the wall behind her. _Not again._ I-if what she saw last time, really did happen, th-then what was she seeing this time?

At the same time, what she had witnessed before entering the dream world also scared her. How could it not, when was Sans capable of that!? Summoning a giant animal skull that fired lasers!? His entire deportment, he was ready to attack at any moment. His hand was positioned to fire another blast should he felt threatened. _Why was he threatened by me? I didn't... the knife. _"Sans... he was... scared of the knife."

It wasn't her, but her with the weapon that Flowey wanted her to use. He never saw the hiking pole as something that could be used to attack anyone, but that plastic knife... that was what put him on edge. "Mmm... ow." She rubbed her arm, hissing at the cuts still fresh under her sleeve. "Why? It's a memory, right? Why do I have to feel things?" Lowering her hand, she looked around the hall again. Towering stone pillars reached the ceiling, far above her head, and if she listened hard enough, the young woman could hear bids chirping from outside. _Chirping... I'm near the barrier. _She was almost to the Surface. Almost... home.

She drifted along the side of the wall, fingers trailing along the gilded surface. "I wonder, if I can actually see i-oomph!" Hard. She... ran into something hard, and solid. Stumbling back, and rubbing her nose from the unexpected hit, Andi looked at what she hit. "... nothing?" That was-what? She hit something, obviously. Where did it go?

"Hmm." Letting go of her nose, Andi brought a hand up in front of her, and leaned forward. Her palm planted against a smooth surface, and she pushed against it. It was firm, yet the texture did not remind her of glass, despite it being see-through. It was just... air, but with mass. _If it's here, then would that mean it's behind me too? _"Or...?" Keeping a hand on the wall, she moved her limb to the right, searching for another barrier.

None of this was making any sense. What happened before she got dragged back into the cursed dream world, and what was happening now. Were the two connected? The memory from before, while it did clear things up, was very out of order-wait. _No, it wasn't. _Her hand connected to a corner, and she felt the change from one wall to the next. _It made perfect sense. _After she woke up, it was not long after that that Sans and Frisk told her about the Underground. Asriel, the different timelines... it was planned.

So then this was planned too, right? _But by who? And why? _The box was spaced between two of the pillars, and went out into only a fifth of the hall itself. Small, a little claustrophobic. What was the purpose of it? _I don't get... _footsteps. Someone else was there. "... it."

Peeling herself away from the wall, she looked to her right. Walking across the tiled floor, she almost flinched from the negative energy radiating off of the short skeleton. Hands, gripped into fists, were buried deep within his pockets, and his eye lights were barely noticeable in the black voids. "Sans?" He, to her disappointment, did not hear her. She had a feeling he wouldn't. He didn't last time. "What're you waiting for?" Sans stood there, watching the entrance to the hall. He was expecting someone, wasn't he? But who?

"... that expression. that's the expression of someone who's died twice in a row." _Died-I'm sorry, twice? _She spun around, her back hitting the wall as she stepped back. "N-no. No, it can't..."

Frisk stood at the end of the hall, a golden star hovering a few feet away from her. Her head was downcast, avoiding the skeleton's gaze. From her neck, a golden heart locket swung freely, several sizes too large for her. After seeing leftover items from the human world around the Underground, she would have easily dismissed the child's find... she could not dismiss the dagger in Frisk's hand, speckled with fine dust.

Dust, that also clung to Frisk's hands, knees, and boots.

"suffice to say, you look really... unsatisfied." He closed his eyes, giving a small shrug. His calmness was the polar opposite of Andi's horrified stature. She never gotten a good look at the child before, when she had stepped out of the elevator. All that she did see, was Frisk's dull expression. A face devoid of any emotions. Positive, or negative. Before, she was horrified. Now... all Andi could do was watch as an invisible witness, and wonder what on earth went wrong.

"alright." Frisk's stance shifted, one foot forward, her hand gripping her weapon tightening. "how 'bout we make it a third?"

They were going to fight. _Right now? Here!? _Andi had been in many fights; from fireballs, to bones, to spears. From rockets, to tiny robots, to legs... to bullet-style seeds. She expected Sans to be more casual in his fighting style, not really caring about it. Easygoing. That was the vibe he always put up.

But that was before the dragon skull. Before, she learned of what he truly knew, and had been through. Sans... he was not going to be gentle in attacking her friend and sister.

"ready?"

And then... all hell broke loose.

Twin skulls appeared beside him, smaller than the one she had seen in Waterfall, and unleashed matching beams of energy at the young human. Frisk, not lifting her head, sprinted away, narrowly missing where the beams hit the wall. She raced towards Sans, knife at the ready, and boots echoing across the room with each step. Sans held up a hand, and with a flick of his wrist, several long bones materialized around him and were sent after her. Frisk skid to a stop, using her knife to slash at the attacks, breaking them apart before they hit her and sending the splintered bones falling to the ground. Its blade, unlike the plastic knife from the Ruins, was sharp, perfect for what she aimed to accomplish. One smaller bone, though, following up behind the rest, missed the blade, and embedded itself into her shoulder, ripping through skin and tissue before emerging from the other side.

"Frisk!" Andi ran towards Frisk, and bounced back against the invisible wall. "No. No! You got to let me get to her!" She raced back towards it, watching Frisk stumble to the ground and tug at the bone jutting from her limb. Pounding her fists against the barrier, Andi looked from her to Sans. Neither were aware of her. No one could hear her shouts. "Sans!"

He rose his hand, and Frisk looked up at him. He clenched his hand, a large bone appearing next to him. Frisk's mouth fell open slightly, and the older human watched in stunned silence as it flew forward and ran through Frisk's stomach, the momentum carrying through to have it pierce the tiles at her back. "F... Frisk...!" The red soul, having followed after her the entire battle, twitched violently, fractures rapidly covering it... and with a sound akin to the shattering of glass, broke before Sans and Andi, the red dust drifting to the blood stained floor below. "FRIS-!"

* * *

"-K!" She inhaled sharply, knees almost buckling where she stood. "I-I'm... Frisk, she... back where I...?" _Where I stood. _The world... l-loaded. That meant... Frisk loaded when she... died. "Ah... h-ha..."

Frisk controlled the timeline. Her and S-Sans, th-that meant... "hmm." Andi looked back to her right, seeing Sans return to his position in the hallway. His grin was bitter, almost annoyed, and he looked down at the spot where Frisk had been speared. There was no blood, behind that, the wall where the blasters struck was in one piece. "heh... are you ready?" He lifted his head, giving a wink with his right socket.

Frisk shifted at the end of the hall, one hand still holding the knife, and the other rubbing the area where the bone had pierced her. Her neutral look faltered for a second, wincing from the phantom pain. "here we go." Her eyes widened, and just as before, the bone attacks rushed her. The red soul was pulled out into view, and Frisk took off towards the skeleton. Left, right. Back up, jump, swerve and duck. All the woman could do was watch, sealed off in her small rectangle, terrified. That kid-it wasn't Frisk. Frisk never-she never would do this. N-never.

_But she __w__ould_, a part of her argued, faintly, in the back of her mind. Frisk got close enough to Sans, swinging the blade out at him. Teleported, landing a few steps behind her with a shrug. She continued, running at him and slashing at the air. _Frisk had killed before. Flowey said so, and Frisk seems to have hinted at it, didn't she? _"Shut up." Great. She was arguing with herself now.

A flicker of blue, and she put her attention back on Frisk. The girl's soul was a dark blue. _Gravity magic. _Sans' socket lit up, matching the magic enveloping his hand, and he swung to the side. _Left eye... that's why his winking is always different. _Frisk soared across the hall, a force pulling her backwards, and her back smashed against the wall. Crumbling to the ground in a heap, the magic letting her go, Frisk struggled to sit upright. A trail of blood trickled from her mouth, and she glared at her target, still standing around the midway point of the room.

He threw his hand upwards, and with a gasp, Frisk rolled herself to the side. Bones shot up through the floor, splintering the tiles underneath. Papyrus, his attacks charged forward, their ends dragging across the ground. Undyne, her magic spears did no damage when they appeared from below. The bridge, when she used them, remained perfectly intact. Frisk took a few short breaths, stumbling back to her feet, and charged once again.

Bones erupted from the ground, a long wide line of them, and she jumped to the side to avoid them. Several went through the air, deflected by the knife, or stabbed the wall when she dodged them, barely missing her head. Andi's own heart was pounding furiously, its echos unnoticeable in the deafening battle waging before her. Screaming, what was the point? No one could hear her, breaking the wall was impossible. She was, like before, an unwilling witness-a bystander-in a fight that would determine the fate of the Underground. After all, if they were in the castle, besides Asgore... Sans was the last line of defense. "Just please... please let me wake up."

A bone went through Frisk's leg this time, nabbing her when she tried to jump away again. She dropped, giving a pained shout and held her thigh. Blood poured from the wound, staining her shorts red and turning the blue color an ugly purple, and eliminating her ability to dodge again. "Aargh!" She hesitantly put a hand on the bone, but even with her determination to off the skeleton, she did not want to inflict any more damage to herself. Taking it out would only make it worse. _Which means... another load._

One of Sans' dragon skulls floated past him, mouth opening and building a charge. Sans hand was in the same position Andi had briefly seen it in back in Waterfall, a trigger to either dismiss the oncoming beam, or let it go and obliterate its designated target. Frisk looked up at them, chest heaving with weak gasps, looking from the blaster to its user. Sans stared back, sockets narrowed.

_One... two... three... _she mentally counted the seconds. Neither of them moved, though Frisk couldn't even if she tried. Sans' sockets widened just the faintest bit, and for a moment, both humans wondered if he would actually fire. He did not hesitate the last time. _Four... five... six... _

None of them were certain what he saw, staring down at Frisk. Andi herself did not know what had happened throughout the timeline, though she had some idea. This timeline, and the others. Just from speaking with Sans, she knew the affects of resetting weighed heavily on him. Frisk too. Both were good at hiding their feelings about it, putting on masks for the rest of the Underground to make it appear as though everything was alright. When... it wasn't. _Seven... eight... nine..._

She hit ten. Sans' eye lights vanished, and he snapped his fingers. The beam was let loose, and Frisk was swallowed up by the bright light, vanishing from sight and from existence.

* * *

Load.

Back in the room. No bones, no broken tiles, and n-no... human ashes.

Sans stared down the hall, hands this time out of his pockets. However, they were still clenched in fists, shaking. He was shaking. "... Sans..." he knew... he had to do this. If he didn't, what then? What would happen if Frisk got to Asgore? Got to the other human souls, or reached the barrier? She didn't know, and she didn't want to know. But there was one thing... she was curious about. One thing that this timeline, did not answer.

Why... did Frisk think that killing the entire Underground would bring Asriel back?

Frisk said, back at the hotel, that she had tried everything to get him back. Different outcomes, different results. _No matter what she did, nothing worked. _How in her right mind did genocide make any sense? That didn't give you a happy ending. _And is this why she brought me here? Because she's traumatized from this? _Andi didn't blame her. If that was her, regardless if she knew she would never be in that situation, she'd be scarred as well. But... if Frisk-sweet, quiet Frisk-could end up like that... who's to say she couldn't too?

His head turned to the side, and the two locked eyes. He didn't see her, not the concerned expression meeting his stressed one. Her expression, which now had tears starting to form at the corners of her eyes. "Please... just stop." Was she speaking to him? To Frisk, or the thing forcing her to watch the memories? It didn't matter. She... Andi just wanted it to stop. _Just let it stop. __Please. __I want to wake up._

Slow and steady footsteps echoed through the gilded hall, and the two looked at Frisk. She was favoring her left leg, the knife held to her chest with wide eyes. For the first time since entering the memory, and watching Frisk enter the arena, the girl expressed actual emotion. Wide, terrified eyes, body trembling underneath the giant sweater. "... heh. so, tell me. how much longer are you gonna keep this up?" He looked around the room, eye lights pausing on the areas where he knew he killed Frisk. The permanent grin turned grimmer with each passing second. "honestly, if i were you, i'd have thrown in the towel by now. but, what do i know about human determination? or bein' a heartless killer?"

Frisk still shook, but didn't reply back. However, despite how far she stood from her guardian, Andi could make out Frisk's head twitch to the side. _Is she... listening for something? _"c'mon, kid. i don't know why you're doin' this, and frankly, i don't wanna know. but enough foolin' around, alright? put down the knife, and, well... it'll make things a lot easier for me."

The girl's head slumped down, staring at the floor. Sans' grim look let up a bit, and he slowly began to walk towards her, his steps cautious. "... frisk, i don't know... what's gotten into you to do this, but it's time to stop. you remember me, right? let's just forget all of this, and reset the timeline." He continued walking, and from her distance, Andi could see the shimmering of tears making their way down Frisk's cheeks. The girl shook her head furiously, still looking down, before her head snapped upwards with a speed Andi almost feared the girl broke her neck from. "kid?"

"Sans, I-I'm sor-!" Frisk's voice was cut off, head thrown backwards, and the horrifying distinct sound of bone rippled through the air. Sans halted mid-step, sockets wide, and Andi rushed towards the other end of the barrier. If Frisk did not break her neck before, she most certainly did now.

"Frisk!" She slammed her hands on the wall. "Frisk!" The girl's head was dragged back upwards, like somehow had pulled it forward by yanking on her hair. Through the teary drapes covering her irises, still glossy in appearance, red color shone brightly. A calm smile greeted them, and Frisk twirled the knife with disturbing ease between her fingers.

"So... you want to make things easier, hm?" She held the blade up to her face, tilting her head at her reflection. "Hmm. Fine by me. If she's so determined to commit genocide... who am I to stop her?" Frisk lowered the dagger to her side, and took a running stance. "Here I come, comedian."

"chara." The name emitting through the monster's sealed teeth was one of faint surprise and anger. Surprise... Andi was too. The voice that came out of Frisk's mouth was not her own. It... it was the voice. The voice, from the save points, the artifact room, th-the one who warned her to move out of the way of Sans' attack on Flowey and helped her out in Alphys' workshop. _Chara... _

Chara smirked, and with speed that ranked far higher than Frisk's earlier attempts, raced towards him. Sans hurried to teleport out of the way, putting a large distance between him and the possessed girl. Chara didn't bat an eye, changing her destination on the spot. "Hah!" Chara slashed the air near Sans, side-stepping out of the way. The edge of his hoodie narrowly missed the blade, the tip almost hooking into the blue fabric near the zipper. She tried again, missing, and before she could attempt a third time, Sans hurried to throw blue magic over the red soul.

"wow... you are one creepy kid." Chara's own chest was heaving, body frozen in the air in front of him. The dagger was held out in front of her, still aimed at his chest. Sans was also taking deep breaths. The fact Chara's movements were so much faster than Frisk's, and much more wild, was not good.

"So I've been told," Chara replied back. There not a hint of sarcasm in her tone. "You really want to know why we're doing this, don't you?"

"gonna tell me?" He asked, raising a brow.

"Why should I? It wasn't my idea." She frowned. "I'm only finishing what she's too weak to do. What, you think I enjoyed watching her kill mom?" _Mom? _Who was her mom? As far as she was aware of, Frisk and her were the only living humans left in the Underground.

"would killing me really make any difference?" Chara's position shifted, lowering the knife herself. It was still pointed at him, but at least it wasn't too close anymore, threatening to tear into his shirt and into his ribs.

"Maybe. Maybe not. I can't reset. That's all up to her." Her smile returned, now mocking. "And I have a feeling killing you might be the push she needs to stop. After all, resetting will bring you back anyway, right? So what's there to lose?"

"... how 'bout some sanity?" _What? _The magic in his socket flared again, having died out during the conversation. Throwing his hand to the side, Frisk was sent flying back across the hall towards the entrance, body bouncing from the ceiling to the floor along the way, each hit accompanied with the snapping of bones. With his other hand, Sans threw it downwards while bring the other hand up again. A burst of bones erupted from the ceiling and, knowing where Sans was going, Andi hurried to close her eyes and cover her ears.

She did not see Frisk's body get impaled, all of the different sized cartilage stabbing through arms, legs, torso, and head. She did, however, hear the sickly moan Chara made through the gaps in her fingers, the splattering of blood raining down onto the tiles below, and experience the world loading once again.

* * *

Attempt number six.

Andi had to force herself not to hurl when she saw Sans again, the gory sounds still ringing in her ears, regardless of the volume being muffled. "Well done. Definitely could not get out of that one." She did not turn to face Chara, but she could hear Frisk stumble while walking forward. "How many times do you think it will take before she stops? One? Five? We could go on forever. Either I kill you, and Frisk gets to see if her little project works, or she gets it through her head that this is pointless. Or you kill me, where either you will tire yourself out to the point I can finally land a hit on you, or Frisk will reset and bring us all back to the beginning." She had thought it all out. Looked at every possible option where things could go from that point on. "This cycle... is repetitive, isn't it?"

"gettin tired?" Sans' own body was slouching, equally exhausted. "makes things... easier for me then."

"You really are not taking this serious." She stopped progressing, and the next thing Sans and Andi knew, the dagger went soaring through the air, spinning blade over handle. The short skeleton tilted his head to the side, the weapon flying past and clattering to the floor several feet behind him. Sans stared at it for a second, and looked back with a raised brow bone.

"so... i'm the one not bein' serious." Said the person who did not just throw away their only form of offence and defense. "what, you got that from the dummy?"

"... shut up." He flicked two fingers, and a blaster went off behind her.

* * *

Duck, swerve, dodge. A flurry of bones. Two blasters, even smaller than the ones from before, and another quick dodge. Chara's breathing was off, funny, but she did not slow down. Possibly because the last load went south for her, and ended with Sans judging her for a rather foolish move.

Seven. Seven attempts had been made, and Andi had to wonder how long she had been asleep. Keeping her mind distracted was the only thing that prevented her from a nervous breakdown, watching the two continue to go at it with gruesome results. _Seven. It's seven now. _Memories; they were a tricky thing. She could have been asleep for hours, or perhaps only a few minutes. Did the multiple loads equal to time passing on the outside? _Seven..._ a key number in the Underground. Seven magicians. Seven human souls. _So much for being a lucky number._

Sans was also tiring out, his dodges not as smooth anymore. The older human saw it, he saw it, and Chara definitely saw it. It was why his attacks were coming on more relentlessly, to the point where even though the child had yet to be blasted, or impaled, she was thrown across the room hard enough to hurt something. Blood dripped from her mouth, and when she coughed, a spray of red scattered the floor. "Eurgh!"

"They're going to tear each other apart..." neither of them were going to budge on the matter. Chara-she had points on how everything would go, and even if she managed to kill Sans, Frisk's body might not make it afterwards. They were going to continue, until they collapsed.

Could monsters die from exhaustion? Andi wasn't sure she wanted that answer, but at the moment... it seemed very likely. And should she scream again? Begging for them to stop? She wanted to. Oh, how she wanted to. Yet there was no point to it; a futile action. "Frisk..." where was she? If Chara was the one in charge, where was she? Trapped within her own body, hopelessly watching from the inside? A ghost like Chara, watching from the outside?

"heh... heh..." beads of sweat stained Sans' brow, and he looked at her trembling body across the room. "heh... heh... are you ready to s... stop... now?"

"N... never." She tried to push herself up, arms shaking like branches in the wind, and Chara dropped to the damaged tile floor. "Ugh. That can be debated."

_Finally._ A standstill. It was about time.

Neither of them moved. Chara remained on the floor, stained with her own blood. Sans' appearance was better, but he shared the same amount of fatigue. "well... guess that's it then. if i kill you... we go right back to it. back to fighting. however, if i leave you like that... w-well... i guess we call it a draw. no one h-hurts anyone, and... you don't get to finish."

"S-so that's it?" Chara asked. She wiped the blue sleeve against her mouth, the color changing to purple from the crimson liquid, just as her clothing had done throughout the brawl. "You're going to leave me like this?"

"why not? you can't reset, remember?" He threw her words back at her, and her ruby eyes widened at the mistake. "which means... you can't load either. and judgin' from your words, frisk isn't the one at the helm at the moment..." through the tiredness, the grin appeared smug, knowing he had the girl right where he wanted. "just... give up."

Sans had a point. No matter what happened from then on, no one would win. Not him, not Chara, and not Frisk. Chara's head slumped back to the floor, watching the skeleton with a frown. Sans' skull dipped a little, snapping back up as the fatigue started setting in. _Is he...? _Slowly, the sockets closed. Bit by bit, as Sans fought to try and keep himself awake. _Sans. Sans, don't you dare fall asleep. _Andi moved along the wall, standing where she would be directly parallel to him. "Sans, wake up." Chara's head lifted, and using the dagger, stabbed it into the split tiles to try and push herself up. "Sans!"

Once the dust covered hiking boots were back underneath her, her legs no longer sliding out like a newborn fawn, Chara grinned a toothy smile that stretched ear to ear, and raced forward with renewed spirit. "No!" His sockets snapped open, side-stepping as the child barreled past. A giggle, and she pivoted on the spot and slashed at his chest. _NO! _"SANS!"

Gasping, frozen in place, he stared down at the blade that was brushed up against his shirt, the tip hooking onto the fabric. _She... she didn't...? _"... frisk?"

The red and blue arms shook, as did the knife still aimed at him. Her head was downcast, hair and shadows covering any view of her eyes. _Frisk...? _"... I just... wanted to bring them back." Her grip on the handle slackened, and the knife dropped to the floor. A clatter, and spinning in place between boots and slippers. She looked up at him, brown eyes meeting white lights. _Brown. _"I-I just wanted to bring them back!"

**You idiot! Now, of all times, you kick me out!? **Andi had slumped against the wall in relief when she saw Chara had not murdered him, her arms still held against the barrier to hold her up. Relieved, that there was no ragged gouge through his shirt, splitting the bones underneath. However, hearing the familiar echoing voice she had grown accustomed to, with no Chara in sight, made her almost jump back. A faint outline appeared over Frisk's shoulder, and while its exact details were hard to make out with her distance, it was obvious what, and who, it was. **I had him right there! Right. There! And you chicken out!? **

"I-I just-!" Chara cut her short, not letting the teary-eyed child speak.

**I, what? What!? **She asked, voice rising with each sentence while Frisk trembled underneath her heated stare, feeling the red eyes tear into her bit by bit. **Tell us, o determined child. Savior of the Underground. Why did you stop? Stop trying to kill one of your precious fri-!?**

"I CAN'T SAVE HER!" The ghost flinched, and Sans took a step back from the outburst. Frisk dropped to the ground in a heap, hands and knees on the cool floor, curling up into a ball. "I-I can't... I just want to save her." Under the curtain of brown covering her face, the sound of sniffling and sobbing cries filtered outwards. "I can't... I-I can't...!"

That. She had seen and been put through... so much over the past few days. Undyne, Flowey, and the bits and pieces of the truth she had learned through speaking with Sans. But Frisk... wailing out her pain that had been bottled for so long, eating away at her? That... was the thing that broke Andi.

* * *

**As much as I could get into the fights themselves, I think I did a good job making Sans not come off as too powerful, or too vengeful. I also could've kept going with Frisk's breakdown, but I figured that was better suited in the next chapter. **

**Until next time!**

**Angel**


	18. Bitter Truth

**Disclaimer: Here it is. This chapter is basically going to explain everything. Sort of. Some things might not be fully answered or confirmed until near the end, but this will be clearing up a fair amount of Frisk's story**

**And, to correspond with the proper introduction of Chara, the formatting index gets an update.**

**I don't own Undertale.**

"Speaking"

_Thinking_

**Chara speaking**

_**Frisk thinking**_

* * *

Autumn was a wonderful time. The various shades of red, orange, and yellow in the trees, creating a canopy and carpet along the roads; piles for children to rake and jump into, only for them to pluck the foliage out of their hair afterwards with an amused grin. The cooler temperature; a relief from the intense summer heat, but not too far into the bitter cold of a snowless winter. _It's definitely a great season, _she reiterated with a smile, letting the door swing open with the wind. _Weather's perfect._

Andi waltzed through the open door, kicking it shut with her heel. The resulting bang echoed in the entryway, and she flinched at the unexpected volume. _Whoops. _"I'm here! Come take bags!" She couldn't see a thing, behind the mountains of large paper bags in her arms. _Oh, no, they're slipping! _"Lois! Some assistance... now!?"

"Hold on, Andi. You could've just taken trips." Two bags were removed from her pile, and she smiled at the older woman. Long dark brown hair speckled with grey strands, and brown eyes only a few shades darker than her own. Her outfit, a white long sleeve shirt and black pants, was almost hidden underneath the painting smock. She shook her head, making a small 'tsk' sound. "Andi, you know Charles and I don't need the extra hand. Really, we're fine."

"I know, but it gives me an excuse to come check on Frisk." After all, one could not always accomplish much during school hours. Frisk was not even in her class. She only ever interacted with her during lunch hours, where the quiet girl would sneak into her room to enjoy her food, and talk about what she had learned. Mostly, it was a one-sided conversation, but she didn't mind.

Helping out, cleaning and groceries... it was also a little of a debt being repaid. She hated that she thought that way, that the woman felt that she owed them something. _Hard habit to break, I guess. _"Where's Charles, anyway?"

"Dear's in town checking out a new fridge. The current one's not as cool anymore." _Is that a pun? I can't tell if that's a pun. _The two trekked through the hall, Andi pausing to kick her sneakers off. It was a small house, the basement completely in the ground, save for a door with steps leading down to it. It helped when if anyone needed anything, all they had to do was bellow, and someone was bound to hear. "Terrence! Come to the kitchen!"

"I'm coming!" Entering the kitchen, the two sat the bags down on the counter. The room, paired with the dining table, was on one side of the house, with the living room on the other. The bedrooms were spread out, with the couple's and one foster kid's on the main floor, and two rooms downstairs for when they were needed. As of right now, the top and one of the bottom's were being occupied. _Frisk's on the main floor, obviously. _They always kept the youngest kid closest to their room, in case something happened. Though she had been moved around whenever someone younger than her came, Frisk always wound back up in that same spot.

A boy, several years older than Frisk, dashed into the kitchen with a loud laugh, almost knocking her over as his sock covered feet slid against the wooden floor. "Hey, Andi! Did you get me anything?" She laughed, steadying herself and shaking her head in the negative. _Couldn't he wait a few minutes until I dealt with stuff?_

"No, kid. The caramel wasn't on sale. I'll check again in a few days, okay?" _As if he needs any more sugar. _Terrence frowned, and reached into the bag to take out a loaf of bread. "Where's Frisk?" _Usually, she's the first one to meet me. _The energetic blond's excited smile slipped, and he looked around her to their foster mother. Turning around herself, Andi noticed an almost mirroring expression. Not quite a frown, but not quite a smile. "Am I... missing something?"

"Don't worry, Andi. Frisk's... fine." _Why would you say that? _Was Frisk unwell? Sick? Answers, she needed answers. "She's just..." Lois had trouble explaining, holding a can of corn and running her free hand through her hair. _Just what? What's wrong with Frisk? _"... why don't you go check on her?"

_That still doesn't answer anything. _"Okay then." Stepping around Terrence, who went back to pulling groceries out of the bags, she continued down the hall towards the other rooms. Two doors on the left, one on the right. The left door, the one closest to the end of the hall, was covered head to toe in stickers. Cute animals, flowers-particularly yellow and blue ones, and in the dead center was a single red heart. "That's... new." The animals and flowers were nothing new, but the suddenly strong choice in the two colors and heart were not there the last time she had visited. Knocking on the door, she leaned close to listen for a response. "Hey, Frisk? Can I come in?"

"... Andi...?" She opened the door, and got one foot through the entrance before a blur of brown, blue, and purple tackled her around the waist, almost knocking her off her feet and into the hallway. "A-Andi!"

"Whoa, F-Frisk!?" She shuffled into the room, closing the door behind her before Lois could hear. The girl's face was buried in her black jacket, fingers gripping the material in fear she would disappear if she let go. "Frisk, kid, what's going on?" Was she hurt? Bullied? Did someone think about going through with an adoption? What was it!? "Frisk, look at me. What's wrong?"

She must have broken the spell, since she felt the girl let up on her grip. Slowly, she looked up at Andi, fresh and old tear tracks clear on her face. _Frisk. _She held the child's face in her hands, using her thumbs to wipe at the water. "There. Now, do you want to tell me why you are so upset?"

"I-I'm not..." Frisk smiled softly. Even with the sweet gesture, it didn't bring her face back to its normal look. Her cheeks were red, as were her eyes, but at least the tears had stopped falling. "I... I missed you, Andi. I missed you."

"Missed me? Frisk, I saw you two days ago at lunch." Frisk let go of her, using her sweater sleeve to remove the rest of the tears on her face. "Did something happen since then?"

"... no. Nothing... happened." Well, that was definitely a lie. Something most certainly did happen. Frisk wouldn't wind up in tears for no reason, and from the looks of it, Lois and Terrence were not sure of what it was either. _You're lying, Frisk. _Perhaps. It felt like Frisk was lying, yet... it felt like the truth at the same time. "Why are you here?"

"Dropping off food, as usual." She looked around the small room, and headed to the bed to sit down. The tan walls weren't as viciously decorated as the door, but she did notice a line of hearts on the wall, over Frisk's desk. Orange, yellow, dark and light blue, green, and purple. A pair of scissors and sticky tack still sat out on the table, scrap pieces of white paper were sticking out of her garbage can, and markers were sitting in a cup nearby. "Room and door decorating?"

"Y-yeah... Andi, can I ask you something?" Frisk moved to the desk, pulling the chair out and sitting down on it. Sitting on the edge, she had to stand on her toes to spin it around to face her. "Mmmph!"

"Heh. Sure. What is it? Math stumping you again? Is it division?" Frisk shook her head, giving a small weak laugh at the suggestions.

"N-no, I..." her eyes darted to the window. The afternoon sun reflected through the glass, hiding behind the woods in their backyard, and warming the room in its glow. "... I want to go hiking."

"Hiking." That-okay, it was Frisk. Such an answer didn't really surprise her all that much. It was still an odd way of phrasing the request though. What made her hesitate in asking? "Okay. Yeah, we can go hiking. I'll need to pack some stuff first, but we can do that." Food, maybe a blanket if they plan to sit to eat. It was fall, so she'd have to wear warmer clothes, unlike the tank top under the jacket and old sneakers left by the front door. "Any place you have in mind?" They could easily walk through the woods like they normally did, or drive out to some of the hiking trails at the base of-

"Mount Ebott." _That... _"I want to hike up Mount Ebott."

Mount Ebott. One of the few mountains making up the range near their home. It was certainly not the tallest, nor was it one that physically difficult to climb. It was just... those rumors. _Disappearances are something that's hard to ignore, kid. _"Frisk, are you... sure, you want to climb that?"

Frisk's face hardened, and she nodded. _Figures. _Kid was determined, alright. A trait that was good, and positively awful at the same time. "I..." Mount Ebott, despite its history, and how everyone always gave it a wide berth, was not illegal to access. One could hike it if they wanted, though people were usually too afraid to try. She sort of fell into that category. Was she afraid? Not really, it was just that... something about the mountain made her feel... off. As if there was an overwhelming sadness hanging over it.

On the... other hand. Mount Ebott overshadowed the town below, and the view, especially during the November month, would be spectacular. _Frisk, why do you have to be like this? _"Ugh... fine. Mount Ebott, it is." She stood up, and began making her way back to the door. "I'll go home and pack a bag. I should be back within the hour."

"Wear a sweater!" Frisk added, her face lit up in a smile that offset her previous attempt She was happy. Ecstatic. Though she clearly felt uneasy about the trip, seeing Frisk's sadness melt away made it all worth it. _Miss me. __She missed me. _Her heart warmed at the words, and laughed softly as she closed Frisk's door behind her. _I missed you too, Frisk._

* * *

Save her. Save... her.

Those two words echoed in her head, and suddenly, it felt like a lot of what she had learned made sense. Not all of it, but most. _Frisk, those flowers and hearts...? _"I j-just wanted to save her..." She tuned back to the memory, watching Frisk continue her broken mantra. Sans shifted on his feet, looking to the side uncomfortably. It was a sharp turn from the fight just minutes ago, enough that it gave him, and Andi, severe whiplash. It took a few seconds, but eventually, the monster reacted.

"... okay." Sans bent down and sat cross-legged on the floor, but not before kicking the knife out of the way and sending it sliding across the hall. Frisk snapped out of her ball form, staring at him in shock. "go ahead, bud. let's hear it." Her mouth opened and closed, and Frisk nodded to herself.

"O-okay... okay..." she readjusted herself, sitting in the same position as him, and gave another small sniff. "Wh-where should... should I start?"

"how 'bout why you keep resetting every time you get to the surface? pacifist, or otherwise?" Frisk winced, but nodded again. "start talkin'." Andi looked between them, and following their example, slowly sliding down to the floor. Sitting, that... that was a good idea.

"Sans, I... when..." his eye lights darkened, and Frisk seemed to get the hint. No stepping around the subject; get to the point. "... when I first went through the Underground, I was... scared. I-I didn't know what I was doing, a-and when I figured it out, I-I just... was hurt, that he couldn't join us on the Surface."

"he?" Sans echoed.

"... Asriel. Flowey." She sighed, head slouching. "N-no matter how many times I... reset, and tried different things, nothing e-ever worked. Befriending Papyrus, U-Undyne, Alphys... nothing." Her hands, resting on her shorts, were gripping the material. "I-I tried, a lot, to get him back. Be-because why did he have t-to..."

"to suffer when everyone else walked free?" She nodded. "frisk, you can't save him."

"I-I still wanted to try," she murmured. "That was when... Chara and I got to... thinking." The ghost in question was looked at by the three of them, still hovering behind Frisk. Chara shifted in place, her confidence fading. "W-we saw that... pacifist was not getting us what we wanted. So be-before we met with Flowey, i-in the Ruins..."

**We decided to fight for real. **Sans and Andi looked behind Frisk at Chara's input. **Not hurt everyone, just... some of the monsters that weren't in positions of power. Didn't have businesses, or were in the Royal Guard.**

"that explains the lv and exp." _Of course, I'm still missing things. _From how he said it, it sounded that, like LV, EXP was also an acronym. For what, it didn't seem like either of them would be explaining any time soon. "seein' that we're here right now, i take it that plan didn't work out."

Frisk squirmed. "... we... swore, that no matter what, we wouldn't hurt our friends. But I... I-I..."

"frisk."

"I went back on my promise," she said in a rush. She was trembling again, the weight of her actions on her shoulders. Her sins crawling up her back, snaring around her and holding her in place in front of the skeleton. "I ju-just... I-I tried everything. Everything, and no-nothing ever seemed to work. Chara, sh-she... she suggested that we go after everyone in the Ruins, l-leaving Toriel behind. A-and I just-I don't know what happened, I-I just...!"

**She killed her. Frisk killed mom.**

Andi... never had it click before. When the possessed body of Frisk said she killed Chara's mother, she wondered if there was another human, hiding in the Underground that had yet to have their soul taken. Hearing that... and learning the history of the Underground and its reason for taking the souls... there was no doubt left to be had. Chara... was the child of Toriel. _Chara... was she... the human child in the story? _"Oh, my god."

Frisk's mouth sealed shut, and she did not look like she was going to be continuing any time soon. Tears were running down her face again, eyes red from it. **Frisk killed my mom**, Chara continued. **I did not say anything. After all, what could I do? If I took over her body, I still would not have been able to bring her back. So I watched, as her sanity slowly descended with each murder. Each strike; bringing down the dog members of the Guard, Mettaton, Undyne... Papyrus. **At the mention of his brother, Sans' sockets went empty. Frisk gave a violent shudder, holding back a sob. **He... really was special. **Chara's voice went quiet, looking down at the floor. **He believed that we were still capable of doing the right thing, even after knowing what we had done to reach him. **

"yet you still killed him." Andi watched behind the invisible wall, switching between Chara and him. He was angry-oh, he was angry. But he wasn't going to attack. He wanted answers, and he was going to get them. The very same patience she held with Frisk the entire journey, she saw within the monster. "you killed my brother."

**She did. She wasn't happy about it, but she did it. **A silence swept over the hall, with none of the four occupants saying a word. Everyone was letting the information digest, sink in, and try to make sense of what Frisk was capable of. Capable of... murder. Genocide. **Which, you can probably guess, leads to where we are now. **

Sans was looking down at the floor now too, not looking at the girls across from him. "... you said you couldn't save her. who's her?" Frisk's head shot up. "you weren't talkin' about tori, are you?"

"I-I... I'm n-not..." if it was possible, her voice was wrecked more than it was before. "Sans, sh-she... I th-thought that... if I did something d-different th-then... maybe I-I'd be able to bring her back. B-but it never w-worked. Every time I-I tried something di-different, she wouldn't b-be there."

"that's not what i'm askin', kid. who's she?" Chara floated closer to her, resting a hand on her shoulder. It was a struggle to not have her hand pass through Frisk's shoulder. "kid." It took another few seconds. The only sound remaining in the air was the chirping of birds, and the faint sound of wind, blowing off in the distance. Silence, and then...

"... A... An... A-Andi..." Frisk curled her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. "I-I want Andi back."

_She wanted... save-what? _What? "Save... me?" So much. So much of what she had learned-from conversations, to the cursed memories shown to her, she had figured things out. At last, Andi could finally admit she had the full picture. Why Frisk was so terrified of the knife, and Flowey's words about how she didn't kill anyone this time because the timeline the woman had feared... had happened right before she arrived. Asriel and Chara were best friends, and accidentally ended up with Asgore's quest to capture human souls. Frisk's knowledge of how everything went, and why some actions surprised her, all because she was there, changing how the flow of events normally occurred. All of it, all of it had come to light. It all made sense. And yet... "save me. Frisk, what... what do you mean by that? Save me from what?" She was never in the Underground prior. All of them knew that. So then... did something happen... on the Surface? "What... happened to me?"

"andi?" Sans repeated the name. The lack of familiarity proved her thoughts. "who's andi?" Frisk shook her head, burying her face into her knees, hiding her flushed complexion. "oh, boy." He looked over her at Chara, who only looked away to the side of the hall. Specifically, where Andi was sitting. _Does she... see me? _Or did Chara know who she was through Frisk, and knew what the living child meant by 'saving her'? "you gotta look at me, frisk. we can't get anywhere if you don't."

"What's... the point, when nothing I-I try to do... works?" Her voice was bordering monotone, broken and a mess, just like her body. "I just want... everyone to have a happy ending. I just want everyone to be happy."

"... sometimes... that isn't something you can achieve, pal." He stretched his arm out, and hesitantly, rested his hand on Frisk's other shoulder. "you gotta reset, frisk. no more foolin' around with the timelines, no more dusting monsters. you're gonna bring us back, and that's it." His eye lights were hard, and his sockets were narrowed. "no more resets."

"No more resets," she parroted, lowering her head. "... resets." Frisk's head popped up, watery eyes flying open. _Idea. _"That's it. Ch-Chara, I think I know what we need to do."

**Need to do? **Chara pulled her arm back, raising her eyebrows.

"kid, did you not just listen to-?" Frisk shook her head, pushing his hand away.

"No, no. J-just hear me out. Every time I tried to do something, it doesn't work. Nothing **I **do," she stressed the middle part, "works. Sans, what if... what if we did something about that?"

Chara and Sans didn't seem to get it. However, from her spot behind the wall, Andi caught on immediately. "... what do you have in mind?"

"One more time. One reset, and this time... I bring someone with me." She was right. Her hunch was absolutely correct. "Someone to... go through the journey with me, and keep me company." Frisk was plotting, keeping her words vague as to not lead Sans on who she was going to bring with her. "Let me have this one last chance, Sans. True pacifist. A perfect ending. Just... let me try and get what I'm hoping for. Please."

Sans studied her expression for several seconds, and closed his eyes to think, skull bowed and arms crossed over his chest. While he was distracted, Chara hovered close to Frisk, leaning down to whisper in her ear. **I know what you're thinking, and I want to say, you're insane. You know that, right?**

_**You have some determination left. **_Andi almost jumped to her feet, hearing a voice echo around her. "Frisk...?" **_I mean, you must if you're still around. Help me reset to a point where I haven't fallen down here. Before I climbed the mountain. _**Frisk's... thoughts. She was hearing the conversation the two were having. "It's a... memory." She was still unsure if it was Frisk's or Chara's, but with the current status of the ghost girl, the latter seemed far more likely. After all, if Chara warned her about Sans, and then the memory was accessed right after, it seemed pretty promising she was correct. "She's showing me what happened." _**If... if I want this to work-to... get everyone their happy ending... I need her to be with me. She has to be in the Underground. Please, Chara. I... I can't do this without you. **_

**Oh, you have to be kidding me. **Chara sighed, holding her forehead. **Frisk, you are such a headache... ****ug****h****! ****Fine. F****ine, I'll help. **

_Thank you. _The monster across from them cleared his throat, and the two returned their attention to him. "alright... you said this is the last time, right? prove it. i'm not gonna be able to relax until we get out, and even then, you usually only last at max two months before we end up back down here."

"Of course. Sans, I promise. No more resets." The grin turned bitter, and Andi had to wonder if Frisk said the wrong thing.

"promise? kid, i wouldn't say that. after all, didn't you once promise to stop resetting?" The blood drained a little from her face. "you know how i feel about 'em. you can say it's a promise, but i'll only believe it once you get through snowdin." In other words... if she didn't kill Papyrus, then he would believe her. _That's why I saw him watching the fight from the treeline. He was watching Frisk. _"are you able to do that?"

Frisk held her tongue, not giving him a response. _She actually needs to think about this? _"... yeah, I can do that." She wanted to earn Sans' friendship again, and after what she had done, it would take a while to scale back up that hill. It'd be rough, and she no doubt would trip along the way, but she would get there again. "Um... Sans? Loading is something that I can do alive or... you know. Resetting, I can only... well..."

"you need me to kill you." The sentence made his facial bones twist, and he looked disturbed. Before, during the fights, it took a while for him to finally stop attacking. Even with everything Frisk had done, Sans did not want her dead. Now, hearing her ask him to kill her... "bones or blaster?"

"... blaster. I'd rather... get it over with." He nodded, pulling himself to his feet and walking away from her. "Chara, do you... think it will work?" **Hmm****... perhaps. We will just have to wait and see. **Sans stopped several feet away, turning around to face them head-on. **See you on the Surface.**

"see you soon, kiddo." The dragon skull appeared over his head, aimed down at the children, and Chara's hand rested on her shoulder reassuringly. "... good luck." That was the warning, and right before he fired, Andi threw her hands over her eyes to block out the bright light. The blast ripped through the air, her hearing turned muffled, and darkness overtook her for what must have been the millionth time since falling down.

* * *

**Until next time!**

**Angel**


	19. The King's Judge

**Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale.**

"Speaking"

_Thinking_

**Chara speaking**

* * *

Andi did not instinctively scream when she woke up this time, what she had seen still fresh in her mind. She had done enough of that in the dream world, that her throat managed to feel sore. _Does... that mean I was screaming in my sleep? _However... waking up and find two large, unblinking sockets hovering inches over her face did not help her cause. "AH!" Reflexes getting the best of her, the woman's head snapped upward, and cracked into Sans' awaiting forehead.

"ah!" Rubbing her head, she popped an eye open to see the skeleton standing next to her, rubbing his own skull as he pulled himself back. "err... evenin'," he greeted, giving a small grimace from the hit.

"Sorry. You... probably shouldn't have been that close." _Hope that doesn't bruise. _Andi looked back at him, her pained look melting to one of... she wasn't sure. Disappointment? Sadness? Pity? After all she had seen and learned, after Sans almost... blasted her into the next timeline... how was she supposed to react around him? _Why didn't you tell me before? _Should she yell at him? Scream out all of what he and Frisk had been hiding from her? Should she grab his hoodie and shake him? _I'm just... tired. I'm just really tired._

Lowering his own hand, he finally picked up on her expression, as she had with her own. "you okay, ands?"

"I..." where should she even start with that? "I'm... thank you, Sans," Andi said, settling on her choice of words. "For..."

"flowey." She nodded, thankful that he said it. "you're welcome. and, um..." Sans looked to the side, avoiding making eye contact. "sorry, 'bout..."

"About threatening me with your dragon skull?" He winced at the reminder. "You are... such a mystery, you know that?" She continued. "I can't figure you out."

"and you never will." He walked around and sat down on the couch, pausing for her to move her legs. A single pillow and blanket were around her, her bag and hiking pole resting over by the television. _Figure him out. _Well... he'd be surprised then. "are you... sure you're okay? you were pretty hurt when i found you."

Physically, it was hard to say. Overall... she was a mess. "I am... confused. Tired, and... lost." She should say something. Secrets... she couldn't do secrets anymore. She couldn't handle them. _Patience is one thing, this... this is something else. _"I think I... got the full picture, Sans. I'm just... not happy with the end result, that got us here." Was it possible for a skeleton to pale? Sans seemed to be doing a really good job at it. His slouching form straightened up, eye lights shrinking. _Sorry, Sans, but I'm not going to stop. __Not this time__. _"... sh... she showed me the truth. Those... bad timelines... I-I know what happened, and... what happened for Frisk to come and get me."

His sockets had blacked out, and she forced herself not to shuffle away from him. No change in his smile, it was just... blank. _I think I broke him. _"Sans." The eye lights returned just as quickly as they vanished. "You... I-I saw everything. You don't need to go into detail."

"see. how did you...?" His sockets widened, and he leaned in. "chara?" _There it is. _That was the reaction she was waiting for. A confirmation. A name, to prove what she had seen was real.

"Chara," she repeated. "Frisk's little ghost buddy, who I believe is the reason you found me before Flowey could take my soul." He sighed again, looking away from her towards the kitchen as he leaned back. "Sans, when... when you saw me back there in Waterfall... you thought I was Frisk. When I... had that knife."

"... hard to get that outta your mind." He turned back to her. "why'd you have that, anyway?" The question wasn't angry sounding, but it wasn't just curiosity Andi could detect.

"Flowey kept putting it back while we stayed in the Ruins, every time I tried getting rid of it. I took it only because I was... well, scared. I didn't want to him doing something to harm Frisk. When we saw the knife the first time, she broke down in tears, Sans. She's really scarred from what she'd done." She looked down at her boots, rocking her feet back and forth against the floor. "I was going to toss it when I was certain he wouldn't get it... I should've tossed it back in Hotland into the lava."

"glad to see that concern was for nothing." What, did he think she was actually going to betray him? "i'm... i really should've said something before." Sans rubbed the back of his head, sighing. "oh, boy..." a pause. "... you, uh... scared of me?"

"I'm pretty sure Frisk is more scared of you than I am. I was... horrified during the first load, and I was even worse you first murdered Chara by-" Sans grimaced again, and Andi's mouth snapped shut. He knew exactly what she meant. She only entered during load three, but the attack on Chara was one he must've remembered all too well. "... you... do you really think having me here will be enough to bring Asriel back?"

"havin' you here-no offence-is still a bit of a mystery to me. any idea what she meant by saving you?" Andi shook her head, and he groaned, head falling back and resting against the couch. "figures."

"But... Sans, with what happened before and... can we not tell Frisk that I'm aware of genocide timeline? She does not need this on her mind." Perhaps in the future, she would tell Frisk, but at the moment, it was something that wasn't worth being brought up.

"heh. don't worry, ands. i didn't plan on tellin' her anyway." His smile brightened a little, and for the first time since waking up, Andi felt relieved.

"Thanks. Uh, by the way, Sans? You said I was banged up when you found me. How exactly am I healed?" She felt sore, and examining her clothes, she could see the tiny cuts in her sweater and jeans. She could feel the phantom stings lining her skin, but other than that, she was... fine. "I know the only food in the house is spaghetti..." Andi's face paled, and Sans chuckled at the action.

"we're tryin' to fix you, not make you worse. i had to scavenge around, but that was all i could find." His eyes drifted to the side, and she followed his direction over to the dining table. Resting beside his pet rock was an onion on a plate, with a section carved out of it. "... yeah, sorry 'bout that."

"You fed me an onion in my sleep," Andi stated. _That's... gross._ "That was the only option?"

"don't have healing magic like papyrus does. it was all i could think of. and technically, it's a stoic onion." A stoic-how was an onion stoic? Onions didn't have feelings.

**Stoic Onion. Even eating it raw, the tears just won't come.**

Andi held back a jump, not expecting the explanation nor the voice. _You? _"well... speakin' of chara, i told her to go and let frisk know that everything's fine. if she got through her last area, she'll be waiting in the hall for us to arrive." He stood up, stretching his back. "i'm gonna head upstairs for a moment. we'll head out in a few." With a wink, and she took note that it was with the left eye, he headed towards the stairs.

She waited, watching the fuzzy slippers reach the second floor, and turn the corner down the hall. _And... __I'm alone__. _"... okay, where are you?" Andi stood up, legs shaking a little at the sudden movement. "I know you're here."

**... are you angry?**

"Well, let's see... you've thrown me twice into memories of a genocide timeline, where I've found out Frisk had killed every one of our friends. I got to watch Sans kill her over and over again, making me question everything that my friends, old and new, have done. What do you think, Chara?" Saying the magic word, she spotted the movement by the entrance to the kitchen. Her form was faint, but she could not mistake the red eyes staring back. _So that's why Sans looked that way._

**No one would tell you**, Chara answered with a shrug. **Frisk certainly wouldn't. **

"I'm just... I really don't know if I should be thankful for what you've done for her, or try and slap your partially invisible head for possessing Frisk." Was Chara good? Bad? Looking at her interactions with Frisk and Sans, Andi couldn't tell.

**I did not do it as often as you might think. Ignoring the one time you saw, some of the other few times were when I wanted to sleep properly, or... **Chara's eyes shifted to the side. **When I... wanted chocolate.**

_... __neutral, it is then. _"... hehe. You... seem like an interesting kid, Chara." _Though I can't tell if I trust you yet or not. _The older and still living human walked over to her, giving a quick but hopefully friendly smile before checking the fridge. "Still nothing." She only had one or two granola bars left in the bag, maybe one more bottle of water. Helpful, but nothing to improve any healing. _And I really don't want to eat the onion. _"Know where any decent food is?"

**Hmmm... check the sink cupboard? **Chara floated over next to her as she opened the door. At the base was several short white hairs, at the top was a shelf lined with bones. Around the cupboard itself was the piping for the sink.

"Nothing. Oh, well." Grabbing the door, she only got to close it halfway before Chara zoomed in front of her, body partially through the door. "Ah!"

**There's something back there. Behind the pipes. **Her hand let go of the door, opening back up to where she had left it. _Behind the... pipes? _Holding onto the frame, she leaned inwards and swung her hand around. _She's right. There's no back wall. _

"Hang on." Bringing herself up onto the base of the cupboard, Andi began to crawl around the pipes to reach the over side. From looking in, the back was black, which could've been thought of as a wall due to how dark it was inside. However, once she passed through the pipes, she and Chara, who floated a few feet behind her, emerged into a large cave. "Did... are we under the house?"

**Perhaps. **The ghost glanced around the area, curling her nose. Blueprints, frayed rope, a deflated inflatable decoration rotting with age, a rotting dumpling, and a radio encased in green crystal were just some of what random and destroyed items were found in the hidden room. **This is disgusting. **She looked down at the broken shards of a CD. **Why is this even here?**

"A lot of this place doesn't make sense. At this point, I've stopped questioning it." _It's made my head feel loads better. _She moved towards the gap in the destroyed shrine. Stone pillars had fallen over, taking out the red shingled roof. Behind the ruins was a red and blue door, its paint job and construction fairing far better than the rest of the area. "Do you think something back there?"

**Most likely. Would you like me to open it? **Chara bobbed past her, poking her head through the door. **Wait a moment. **The rest of her body passed through, and after a few seconds, the doors slid open with a bang that echoed throughout the small space. She turned around, and waved down the narrowing decline behind her. **After you. **

"Heh. Thanks." Keeping a steady hand on the wall, Andi moved past Chara and shuffled down towards the new area. The ceiling was close, forcing her to duck until she reached the bottom. The room opened up, despite the awkward entrance, and she stood face-to-face with... "Mew Mew Kissy Cutie?"

The anime Alphys loved? What was something like that doing underneath Sans and Papyrus' house? "Hmmm..." she drifted closer to it, looking it over. The pink and white dress was clean, the bells on its ears shining in the tiny bit of light that came through the entrance behind her. The fur did not look fake, and she reached up to its ear to check. _It's really soft._

"ENOUGH! ENOUGH! ENOUGH!"

"Whoa!" Jumping back, Andi stared at the enraged expression that had replaced the once sweet and cheerful one. "You're alive?"

"FOOL! DON'T YOU KNOW NOT TO TOUCH PEOPLE YOU DON'T KNOW!?" The anime statue asked, eyes narrowed.

"I-I'm sorry," Andi stammered. "I didn't think a ghost was occupying it."

"Ho ho... at least you're somewhat familiar with me then. Even if I'm not in that miserable dummy suit." _Oh... it's the __m__ad __d__ummy. _This... wasn't going to end well. "Once I fuse with this PERFECT new body, mew... a brand new, WONDERFUL life is going to begin!"

"... and fusing with the body requires you to hide out in the skeletons' kitchen?"

"Shut up!" She hissed. "But as much as I try to fuse... it's. Not. WORKING! My emotions aren't pure enough! I need tension! Conflict! Something to bring out my ANGER!" _Okay... time to start backing out now. _"Wait. That's it! YOU!"

"Me?" Andi's soul was dragged out into view, and Mew Mew giggled at the sight.

"Perfect! Human! Fight with me! Combat! Bloodlust! Destruction! It's the perfect emotional cocktail... to fuse with my new body, mew!"

"andi? are you okay?" She glanced over her shoulder, seeing Sans' slippers at the top of the incline. _Sans!_

"We don't need any interference." Mew Mew waved her paw, and the cave's entrance shimmered. Rushing towards it, Andi's hands were met with a transparent wall, sparkling faintly in pink.

"Sans! I can't get out!" She smacked a palm against the barrier, finding a magic almost exactly like that from the memory. "Sans!"

"And, with my new special ability..." she spun around, hearing Sans reach the bottom behind her. "This battle will be truly interesting!"

She could hear the thumps on the other side of the barrier, his hands banging on it to see if there was a weak spot. The mad Mew Mew doll giggled, and with another wave of her paw another barrier went up between the two of them. "Why are you separating... oh no." Her soul... her soul was on the other side. "Oh, no. No." Andi jumped side to side, and to her disbelief, the red and blue heart did not follow her. "How did y-?"

"Never met magic that did that before?" She asked, voice sweetly mocking her. "Let's begin!"

"Sans?" This was not going to end well. She had to get out, or find a way to pacify Mew Mew, or-or something.

"can you move your soul around at all?" Andi did not bother turning around to answer, watching three swirling white orbs rush the rectangular box her soul was trapped in. It wouldn't budge. No matter how much she willed it, all her earnings delivered her was a small twitch.

"Arrgh!" She held her chest, feeling the hits make contact with her soul. "Err... no. No, I can't." She held her hand there, a mix of her soul, and her heart, beating under her palm. "Why... won't it move?"

"Wondering where I got this body?" Mew Mew asked, not focusing on her successful attack. If it was the dummy from before, it was not surprising. Personality was pretty much exactly the same. "Wouldn't you like to know!? Ha ha ha ha!" She paused, and gave a playful wink. "Sure, I'll tell you."

She kept her hand there, and watched as another flood of magic attacks came at the box. "... they're spaced out." She shifted at Sans' voice before hunching over as another hit was made. "enough space to... ands, this is gonna sound stupid, but does your soul do anything special?"

"What... do you mean by special?" She felt a trick of blood run down from her mouth, and wiped at it with the back of the hand not holding her chest.

"every human that has a specific trait usually plays by the same magic rules. a green soul can't move and uses shields. purple can only move up and down. what does a blue and red soul do?" What... did a dual colored soul do? "can you divide the soul in half?"

"I-I'm sorry?" Divide-did he want her to cut her soul in half!? _Sans, we are trying to save me here, not kill me! _

"just see if you can split the colors apart." His suggestion was urgent, and she looked from the rapidly beating soul, to a maliciously grinning Mew Mew, to the soul again. _Split it... how? _"try and feel it like it's right in front of you, and make the colors separate."

Another barrage of spheres rammed the soul, and her knees buckled. _Feel... my soul. _What... did it feel like? She... felt pain, paralyzing pain. And... sadness. Happiness, and treachery. It was buried deep, deep down, but the dam of feelings that were built up over the course of her journey was not as stable as she thought it was. Bits and pieces flowed over the top, rising to the surface. _Feel... _another hand rested over her chest, the beating of her heart a slow and steady thump, thump, thump. _Feel... and... split. _

She moved her hands apart, and she could hear a small surprised inhale come from behind her. Her eyes opened, and as the barrage of magic attacks passed by, a red soul and blue soul floated on either side, spared from being struck again. Mew Mew gave an enraged shout, stomping her foot down, and Sans gave a chuckle behind her. "knew it."

Andi smiled, unfolding from the hunched position she stood in and stood tall. Her hands felt warm, like they were wrapped in an electric blanket. She brought her hands together, and sure enough, the red and blue souls fused together again, wisps of blue and red entangling together. "Now... let's play."

"Hmm!" Mew Mew humphed, and soon the entire cavern was filled with magic attacks. "I found it in... a strange place. A... sciencey place." _Of course it was Alphys. _To an invisible beat, the woman moved her hands to avoid the attacks on her soul. Left, center, apart, right. At the tail end, seeing the spheres on the left were blue and right were red, a wall of white down the middle, she hurried to put the right colors on either side. "No I idea what was going on there, but... as soon as I saw this body, I just knew-IT WAS ME! ME! ME!"

"incoming." Blue in the center, red on the right. There was definitely a beat to it, moving and dodging the attacks. With how she was throwing her arms around, Andi knew she looked rather ridiculous. _Also... a little tired. _Even with the second wind from her revelation, Andi was still very much in pain.

"So I TOOK it! You can't blame me! Why does a scientist need a life-sized girl statue anyway!?" Mew Mew muttered, confused at the question. "I probably saved it from EXPERIMENTS! I'm a HERO, and I rescued MYSELF!" Apart, together, apart together. Repeat, repeat, repeat. _Could this get any more exhausting? _

"And now, with this new body, I've got a BRAND NEW life ahead of me!" Mew Mew swung a staff, a pink kitty head at the end with a long wavy ribbon tied beneath it, and a storm of mewing cat heads rushed the rejoined heart. "New life! Cool life!"

"Aah!" She threw her arms to the side, dodging the cutesy attacks. The sound of snickering made her throw a hasty, but annoyed, look at the skeleton, who only smiled and shrugged in reply.

"And NOW, I'll finally be able to... I'll... finally be able to... uhh, continue being Undyne's training dummy. BUT BETTER!" _It's the same dummy? _The spheres were picking up speed, and the red half of her soul collided with a white target in the middle lane, not reaching the right side in time. Once the wall had passed, she stepped back as the glowing box her soul was trapped in gave a shimmer.

"It changed shape!" She hurried to throw one arm behind her and the other forward, filling in the new gaps and watching two spheres rush at the soul from the sides. If she was not in the middle of a fight, Andi would've compared her actions to a stroke. Except there was no water... and there was cats involved.

"Ah, Undyne... sweet, violent, Undyne. I can't wait to see the look on her face when she sees me!" She could hear the skeleton's noise of discomfort as a red orb struck her blue half. The white went through the middle, and she swung her hands around forwards, backwards, left, and right to keep up with the direction change, as well as the color change. "She'll blast me with a storm of spears! I'll be the world's greatest pin cushion!" Two white spheres, moving side by side, forcing her to throw her arms around in a circle, before rocking back and forth as red and blue alternated from the sides.

"I feel silly!" She shouted, feet moving in time with her arms and kicking up the dirt around her, leaving marks along the ground around her.

"you look silly," Sans commented. "hang in there, okay? it should almost be over." _And how would you know that? Chara never saw the dummy before, so Frisk hadn't either!_

**Because, and I am guessing, Frisk would not have been able to last in a fight like this. **The entire time, Chara was watching from the sidelines, keeping silent. **Though the red soul does adapt to fighting styles, a purple soul is stuck using its specific magic unless acted upon. Like Undyne with green magic. However, Mew Mew is not using any magic besides the barriers. Had it not been for your unique dual soul, you would have certainly died quickly.**

"Gee, that makes me feel loads better!" Did that mean that there were others with dual souls? Maybe even other soul traits that the monsters were not aware of-gah! "Don't distract me!"

"H-huh...!? That look on your face-she's already got... somebody else?" _I never gave any look. _Perhaps she did. It sounded like the ghost was a little infatuated with the Royal Guard captain, and since it was clear Undyne and Alphys must have had some interest in each other... _Alphys definitely. Undyne, I don't have much proof. _"Hehehe... hehe... well, if she's got somebody else... THEN YOU KNOW WHAT I'M GONNA DO TO THEM!?"

"Hopefully not kill them?" Andi asked. Alphys would not last against the living doll, and the Royal Scientist might have a mental breakdown at the sight of her.

"Duh! I'll respect them! I'll respect their relationship!" The cat heads returned full force, as well as the shrinking of the soul box. "Ha ha ha! Happy for her! Nothing but the best! Best of luck!" She put the staff away, and stomped her heeled foot on the ground. "Enough. ENOUGH. ENOUGH! WHY haven't I FUSED yet!? Do I have to use my full power!? COME ON! IS THIS ENOUGH FOR YOU!?"

It was, yes. Though she was thankful for the smaller box, the speed was still difficult to keep up with, either having the wrong colored soul hit the wrong marker, or not reach it in time only to get hit with a white orb. "WHY ISN'T IT WORKING!?" Then, to her relief... the soul wall disappeared.

"Finally." She fell back against the barrier up behind her, panting. "Finally."

"NO MATTER HOW MAD I GET, NO MATTER HOW MUCH I FIGHT, I JUST CAN'T FUSE WITH THIS BODY! WHAT AM I DOING WRONG!?" Mew Mew's head dipped, arms shaking at her side. "What am I doing wrong...?"

**You told Mad Mew Mew that anger might not be the only way. **Andi threw a look at Chara, but pulled herself upwards anyway.

"Have you ever... tried other emotions?" She suggested, panting. "Anger is strong, yeah, but there's others."

"Other... emotions? You mean something like... love?" _I-that's not what I meant. _She was going for happiness, or sadness. But... love could work too, she guessed. "Then, I... human! Go ahead! Show me what LOVE is!"

**How will you show your LOVE...? **Something about how Chara phrased it, and the feeling of Sans' eyes on her back, threw her through a small loop. What was about it love that made them... that? _Well, I don't have a weapon to dispose of to show sparing that way, but saying it should be enough._

"If that's the case... then end the fight. That's it. After all, there's no reason why we should attack each other, right? And, um... lower the barrier, if you could."

"Huh...? Such... such kindness...! It's... making me FEEL something! It may be a while before I can truly fuse with this body. But, I think this is a start...! Heh, to think that even though I hid here to be alone... I somehow made a friend!" Mew Mew swung her arms around Andi's neck, hugging her. "Thank you. Thank you! THANK YOU!"

"Ack! N-no problem!" The arms retracted, and she put a hand on her neck, feeling the weight still hanging there. Still smiling, Mew Mew raced past, the barrier breaking down as she neared it, and she took off back up the slope. Sans, standing off to the side, watched her go before walking up to the exhausted human.

"so... havin' fun?"

"Sans, shut up."

The trio clambered out of the cupboard, Sans coming out first before giving a hand to Andi. Chara flew around them, hovering over his shoulder. "feelin' okay?"

Andi rose a brow, silently walking past the two and moved to the table. Snatching the Stoic Onion up, she spun around, looked them hard in the eyes, and took a bite out of it. **Even eating it raw, the tears just won't come. **Sans shook his head as she continued biting into the food. Did it taste bad? Not as terrible as the pasta, but she was kicking herself for resorting to eating an onion. Magical or not. "well, um... now that that's... outta the way, you ready to go?"

"Go... Frisk?" He nodded, and threw a look at Chara.

"can you go tell her we'll be right there?" Chara smirked, and offered a small salute.

**See you in a few minutes. **Her form vanished, and the two were left alone in the house. _Time to grab my gear then. _Teeth clenched, holding the onion in her mouth, she bent down to throw the bag and hiking pole onto her back. Spitting the food out into an open hand, she went to toss it into the bin beside Sans.

"i'd hang onto that, if i were you," he said, making her pause. "if you don't have any monster food on you, any bit will help."

"Monster food... can we stop at one of those boxes before we go?" He was right. They were going to need any assistance they could get. A quiche was helpful, but they needed to pull out all of the stops. There was no use delaying it. They were at the end now. It was time... for the pie.

"no need. there's one of them in the hall." He rested a hand on her shoulder, giving a quick comforting pat. "you're still nervous."

"... I have no idea how Frisk's managed all of this. All of this... trauma." She took a deep breath, trying to collect herself. "Sans, when this is... over, can we talk about it? About... everything?" The bony fingers tightened on her sweater, enough for her to frown from the discomfort.

"... i'll... think 'bout it." It was... better than saying no, she supposed. "keep still." Teleporting away, world swirling around her; Andi's feet made rough contact with the floor and collapsed against Sans. "whoops."

"Yeah, still not perfectly healed." She worked her legs back under her, using the offered arm to pull herself back up. The hall... it was weird being in it, and not being forced to stand in an invisible box the entire time. "It's... really huge. What exactly is the point of this place?"

"judgment, i suppose. that's another of the things i do. y'see, i'm the king's judge." _Judge?_ _"_though it isn't a position i had for very long, only gettin' it weeks before the kid fell. i judge people-monsters, or humans-on the actions they've made. specifically, their lv and exp." The phrase judge, jury, and ex... executioner rang through her head, making Andi pale.

"LV and EXP... LV isn't love, is it?" She asked, pushing the idea to the side. If it was something Flowey liked, then it must have been a bad thing. _But what is it?_

"lv means love, but yeah, not the kind you're thinkin' of," he agreed. "it stands for level of violence. exp, too, is an acronym. execution points, a number that would increase the more you inflict pain on others. whenever you gain enough exp, that's when the lv goes up."

"It's why Sans is like that." The two looked down at the end of the hall. There sat Frisk, a bag of chips in her hands, holding one of the salty snacks between her fingers. Off to the side, barely visible to her eyes, floated Chara. "Knowing what he knows... makes it..."

"it's hard to keep yourself happy," he finished. "sort of why i crack jokes, you know?" No. She didn't know. She had honestly thought that was just his personality. _Or does he do it more often, because of the timelines?_

"You... didn't care anymore, did you?" He shrugged, and the nonchalant action only backed up her question. "... what changed?"

"i suppose... you did." Frisk had rolled up the opening of the chip bag, sticking it carefully into her shorts pocket, and headed over to them. "this entire timeline's different. a few bad things here and there, but... i'm glad the kid took the risk to get you down here. i've watched you." He directed the words to Frisk, finally standing across from them. "i've watched you do a lot of stuff, kid. good, bad... but you never earned any love. and after this, i'd like to think you won't ever again. though, that could just be wishful thinking."

"... do you forgive me?" He quirked an eye at the quiet question, stepping away from Andi and moved over to Frisk. The girl's head was bowed, not looking him in the eye. "After... everything I've done... I wouldn't blame you for hating me."

"frisk..." he stopped a foot away from her. Eye lights trailed over to Frisk's side, giving an almost mute chuckle. "... c'mere, pal." For a second, Andi had to wonder if Frisk had even heard him, having not said or moved from her spot. Or perhaps she was still scared of him, and she thought her own question was just being hopeful.

It took a moment for him to get any reaction. A small sniffle, and soon, the young human closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around his skeletal form. Her face was buried in the white shirt, a silent but strong stream rushing from her sealed eyes. "heh..." Sans hugged her, rubbing the back of her head as Frisk released the emotions she had suppressed over so many timelines. Anger, fear, betrayal; many emotions, in such a small amount of time. "let it out, kid." Frisk did, hands clenching the back of his hoodie, crying out every secret that was held behind that wall.

Her guardian stood at the back, watching silently. Andi... she felt like she was intruding. As much as she loved the girl, and their was definitely a friendship between herself and Sans, after he had helped her out throughout her time in the Underground... she wasn't part of this. Even though she saw the memories, she was not in them. She had gone through everything once, and befriended everyone once. What Andi had, was nothing in comparison to Frisk. N-nothing.

"... Andrea?" From around the short skeleton, Frisk poked her head out. Eyes were red and puffy from crying so hard, and Andi felt her own heart churn at the sound of her full name come from the child. "... hug?"

Y... yeah. Yeah, hugs... hugs were... good.

The three of them stood there, longer than they probably should have. Frisk still clung to Sans, while Andi's arms were wrapped around the two of them. Her chin was resting atop his skull, doing her own best to not begin tearing up. "I... need this." She needed that so, so badly.

"hehe... a-alright, girls. let's... wrap this up." He shifted, and Andi let the monster go. Sans dropped his arms from around Frisk and, after taking a moment to swipe at her eyes with her arm, smiled wearily at the two of them. "so... are you ready? we're all counting on you two here." _He's counting on us here._

It took several deep breaths for Frisk to answer. "... y-yeah. Andi?"

"I'm ready, Frisk." _Let's go save Asriel... however that's supposed to work. _She looked at Sans, the exit of the hall in the corner of her eye. _Almost there. _"See you soon, Sans... and thank you, for upholding your promise."

"don't thank me..." he closed his sockets, and slowly opened the right one in a wink, a silent 'good luck' passing between them. "thank frisk for upholding hers." Andi blinked, and the skeleton was gone, leaving the two alone in the castle's corridor, drenched in the golden glow of the glass windows.

"Andi." She turned around. Frisk was a few steps ahead, her own smile bittersweet. "... heh." She never said another word. Frisk didn't need to. _Forward then._

Gold shifted to grey, and far too quickly for her tastes, the girls faced down a large door at the end of a small turn. Through the walk, Frisk's sweater made its way back onto her bruised body, covering the injuries collected over her journey. Falling in the Underground... it was fate. Fate for Frisk, and fate for her too, her strand now intertwined with her young friend. Though her arrival was late, Andrea had came there for a reason. Whatever it was, whatever Frisk wanted to 'save her' from, she might never know, but it did not matter. For now...

In the room with a ceiling just as high as the outside hall's, where stone walls and pillars were entangled with overgrown ivy, stained glass windows let in the Surface's precious sunlight over a carpet of golden flowers, stood a towering figure. A person far taller than almost every monster they had encountered. Large white horns curled upwards, and long golden hair flowed to his shoulders under a royal purple cape. The ruler of the Underground, they stood before. The one who sought their souls to break the barrier.

The Monster King.

* * *

**Until next time!**

**Angel**


	20. Fallen Down

**Disclaimer: Okay. As much as there are many chapters in this story that I enjoyed writing, this is definitely one of my favorites. Mostly because of the fact we're getting into the big finale.**

**TheParadoxicalOxymoron: I'm glad you enjoyed the Mew Mew fight. As for the upcoming fight, you'll have to wait and see. Asgore, or Flowey, or Asriel; it's hard to answer what is coming up next. **

**I don't own Undertale.**

"Speaking"

_Thinking_

**Chara speaking**

* * *

"Dum dee dum…oh? Is someone there? Just a moment! I have almost finished watering these flowers." __This… is Asgore?__

His voice was deep; though, it was by no means the same baritone as Sans. How he spoke, though it was such a simple request, she felt compelled to obey it. Even then, watching the king of the Underground ask for just a little more time to water his garden... she was terrified, yet Andi could not help but give a small amused smile at his actions.

"… here we are!" Asgore sat the silver can down, resting it in a place that would not crush the flowers around him more than him walking atop their yellow petals. "Howdy! How can I…?" He turned around and, like a switch being flipped, a look of fear and disappointment swept over his face. "Oh…" Asgore looked away, and at that moment, it was clear to the two of them that he was not expecting their arrival. _Did he know we had even fallen down here? _He sighed, a regret filled noise, and turned back to them with a weak smile. "I so badly want to say, 'would you like a cup of tea?' But… you know how it is…" Asgore walked over to one of the windows, purple cape billowing out behind him with each step, looking out at the scenery outside. "Nice day today, huh? Birds are singing, flowers are blooming… perfect weather for a game of catch." He sighed again, each second of their presence hurting the king. "… you know what we must do."

They did... no one wanted to though. _I don't want to fight Asgore, _Andi repeated in her head. _I don't want to fight him. _"We... we do, Your Majesty." Her voice was quiet, not as confident as she would have preferred it, but it did the trick. Asgore's eyes widened, not expecting a reply. "We would not be here before you, if we did not know what is to come." Was she being too formal, for someone about to enter a fight for their life? It seemed like she was.

He nodded solemnly anyways, dismissing his surprise. "If that is what you wish, when you girls are ready, come into the next room." Back facing them once again, he walked towards a doorway in the far back of the throne room. His head turned slightly to stare at an object draped in a white cape under a window in the corner, bowing his head, and vanished from view altogether.

The two exchanged a look, and Frisk took the first step. Unlike the golden hall, where each footfall echoed, the noise around them was muffled by the flora sprouting around their boots. The sounds of birds was much stronger, showing how much closer they were to the top. To the Surface. "Frisk?" Andi paused before passing through the archway, looking over at the draped item. From looking at it, it almost remained her of another... throne. "... Toriel?"

"Toriel." That was all Frisk had to say, and... it made a lot of sense.

"A lonely king. With the story you told me, about the human child and Asriel... were they their kids?" She nodded. It really... all made sense now. Chara fell down, and was adopted by the family. Though what exactly happened, that killed the young children, Andi still wasn't sure. It did not matter, in the end. She had far more pressing issues to deal with at the moment.

"How tense…" Asgore said, once they rejoined him. The hall was grey, just as it was before. Grey bricks, lit only by mounted torches every few steps. "Just think of it like… a visit to the dentist." Andi rose a brow at the choice of wording, and followed the goat monster down the corridor to a decorative arch, and the welcoming sight of a save point."Are you ready?" He didn't bother looking at their reactions, his sole attention on what lied ahead. "If you are not, I understand... I am not ready either." Asgore walked into the new room, leaving the two behind. Frisk pressed the star, the warm light brightening the dreary passageway.

****The end.****

"… that's it? No inspiring message this time?" Andi asked, looking from the star to the ghost over Frisk's shoulder.

**What do you want me to say? It is the end, isn't it? **Frisk blinked, a little taken aback by how the older human directly addressed the fallen child, until she smiled nervously. _Yeah, I bet you forgot you sent her my way, __when Flowey decided to use me as target practice__. _Did Frisk suspect that something would go wrong when she had done that? Maybe. Whatever it was, she owed her.

"There's nothing left to say," Frisk finally said. "We've reached the end, Andi. What more is there?" She took a deep breath, and stared up at the exit. _Never thought you'd reach this point again, huh? _"Once we go through that door, we're be at the edge of the barrier. The thing that separates everyone from the surface." Frisk exhaled, and smiled at her. A smile, that made her seem far much older than the woman herself. Tired, and weary. Someone, who had seen and been through many things; good, and terrible. "I've.. done a lot of... bad things. B-but I'm ready to make up for them. Stop the resets, stop the loads, and... let everyone have their happy ending."

Toriel, Papyrus, Alphys, Metatton, Undyne...Sans, and Asriel... and Frisk and Chara. All of them. Everyone had suffered enough, been trapped long enough. "Then let's give it to them, Frisk. Let's give them what we've been aiming for." Resting a hand on her shoulder, fingers curling around it to let the determined child she was not going anywhere, the two made their final entrance.

She had to blink rapidly to adjust to the bright light that shone through the cave opening far ahead of them. The castle was behind them now, only its bricks and a lone decorative window remaining, built into the cave itself. Vines and moss covered its surface, showing its age and only a snippet of the building itself, but not nearly as covered as the rest of the massive cavern. _Because those towers we saw in Waterfall... _a series of caverns, and from there, a distant view of the Capital and its castle, showing only a small picture of what really was there.

A soft humming filled the air, the walls pulsed magic up towards the exit. She couldn't, exactly, see it, yet with each pulse, a ripple of wind would blow leaves closer to the massive hole before them, beaming of fresh sunlight. "This is the barrier." They looked up at Asgore. His tall form cast a shadow over the ground, its size making the monster appear much taller than he was. "This is what keeps us all trapped underground. If… if by chance you two have any unfinished business… please, do what you must."

"Asgore?" Frisk spoke up. "We... we are ready." They were. An onion, a bag of chips, and a quiche. Those were the healing items they had in stock. The event in the corridor threw off her pie idea, and she still wanted to go and fetch it... she might not have had the courage to return to face Asgore should she leave now.

"…I see… this is it, then." He slowly turned around, and gave an apologetic smile behind his golden beard. It did not meet his eyes. _The__y're __the __same color as Toriel's. _"Ready?" On command, his question acting as a trigger, seven capsules rose out from under the ground. On his left, purple, blue, and sky blue hearts floated in their glass containers, while blue, yellow, and orange floated on the other side. A single container sat beside him, lacking a human soul.

__That's… for one of us, __Andi thought. She gripped Frisk's hand tightly, and felt her soul float out from her chest. Undyne's encounter still lurked in the back of her mind, but she was the captain. The king of the monsters... _would he even accept our mercy, after having this go on for so long? _The swirling blue and red heart bobbed next to Frisk's red soul, as Asgore looked down at the floor in pity. The canisters sank back into the dirt, not to get into the way of the soon-to-be battle.

****A strange light fills the room********.********Twilight is shining through the barrier. It seems your journey is finally over. You're filled with determination... ********and patience, I suppose.****

_Ha ha. _While she appreciated the girl's strange sentence, she couldn't help the dry mental laugh that left her. _This... is going to go very south, very quickly. _"Humans…" Asgore lifted his head, the smile threatening to shatter any moment. "It was nice to meet you. Goodbye." From beneath his cape, Asgore's arm lashed out to the side, revealing a suit of golden armor underneath. In his hand, a red trident, almost as long as the woman was tall. _With that, and if he's any relation to Toriel... _she was about to be burnt to a crisp.

Andi's stance shifted, hiking pole quickly detached and held in her hand. Frisk stood a step behind her, ready to dodge at any moment. A ring of fire appeared over his head, the cool November air heating up with its summon. _Here we go. _The inferno rushed forward, and as she swung the pole forward to deflect the attack. "Brace yourse-!"A large blast of flames struck Asgore head-on, sending him backwards towards the barrier. His feet gripped the dirt, claws digging into rock to stop himself from being knocked back any further. "What?" She spun around, as did Frisk, wondering what had halted Asgore and his oncoming assault. _Who...?_

"What a miserable creature, torturing such poor, innocent youths." There was smoke billowing around the entrance of the door, no doubt from the blast that came from its direction. But there was no mistaking the voice. One she had not heard, since leaving the Ruins. _Is... no way. _No way. I-it couldn't have been-? "Do not be afraid, my dears. It is I, Toriel, your friend and guardian."

It was... it really was. "Toriel!" Andi tucked the hiking pole under her arm, running towards the older woman and throwing her arms around her when she got close enough. Frisk hurried along behind, trying to wrap her own arms around the both of them. "You came!"

"Of course, I did." She felt her hair get smoothed down under a warm paw, and she let go to bring her face up to see Toriel's. "I see that I was right, in that you would keep her safe after all."

"Did that mean you got my voicemail?" _Knew that was a good idea. _Toriel nodded, her pleased smile was more humorous now.

"I did, however... I was about to call you back on my way here, only for a little white dog to take it from me! I got it back not long before arriving at Hotland. By then, I did not see it worthwhile." Why did she get the feeling she knew who that 'little white dog' was? "Even then, despite your demonstrated strength over the course of your journey, I did not want you to go through such a horrible act."

"Horrible act?" They had been saving and sparing the entire way... minus Flowey. What was she suggesting? "Frisk?" Frisk wasn't paying any attention to her, eyes darting to where Asgore was watching them, using his trident to push himself up. _Oh, this must be... awkward for him._

"Did you not know? In order to leave the Underground, a human soul is not enough... you would have had to take Asgore's soul. And because there are two of you..." her words hung in the air, and she knew what the former queen meant. She and Frisk... would need to kill in order to escape. "... you did not."

"No... no, I didn't." She really wanted to smack Frisk on the back of head, but now wasn't the time. _Okay, owing her a favor is no longer a thing._

"T-Tori... you came back!" Asgore walked towards them, a slight limp in one leg, and he dismissed his trident as quickly as it had been summoned.

"Do not 'Tori' me, Dreemurr! You pathetic whelp." The woman's eyes were hard, and even with the few inches he had on her, she stood tall over Asgore. "If you really wanted to free our kind... you could have gone through the barrier after you ONE SOUL... taken six souls from the humans, then come back and freed everyone peacefully." The king shrunk deeper into himself as she tore into him, words ripping at scarcely healed wounds that time had only made worse. "But instead, you made everyone live in despair... because you would rather wait here, meekly hoping another human never comes."

Toriel's breathing was hard, and from what she said, Andi had a sneaking suspicion she had wanted to say that to Asgore for a very, very long time. "... Tori... you're right... I am a miserable creature... but, do you think we can at least be friends again?" _Oh, boy._

Toriel's eyes shifted to the two humans, watching the interaction. Would it be nice for them to make up? It... would've been, had she not just walked in on him trying to burn them alive. "NO, Asgore."

The man's face fell instantly, almost close to tears, until footfalls echoed outside of the massive cavern. _Someone's coming? _They were rapidly approaching, and the four turned to the entrance for the arrival of-Undyne? "NGAHHH! Asgore! Humans! Don't fight!" The fish woman appeared in the archway, panting with a newly formed spear held tightly in her hands. Papyrus jogged in right behind her, equally out of breath, and carrying Alphys and Sans under his arms. The older of the brothers gave her a wink, shrugging the best he could in his current situation. "I won't let you!"

"YOU MEAN, WE WON'T LET YOU," Papyrus corrected. Alphys adjusted her glasses, clawed feet dangling above the ground.

"P-Papyrus," she stuttered, glancing up at him. "Can we be put down now?"

"OH. OF COURSE, DR. ALPHYS. I HAD ALMOST FORGOT." The lizard and shorter skeleton were deposited onto the cavern's floor, and the group hurried towards the others.

"Oh! Are these all your friends?" Her previous annoyance and disgust over Asgore was shoved to the side, Toriel watching them approach. Undyne had gone straight to Asgore's side, seeing her old friend distraught.

"Hey, Asgore. Isn't that your... ex? Geez, that's rough." Asgore nodded slowly, still not meeting anyone's eyes.

"no kidding. it's pretty baaaad, in my opinion." _Dang it, Sans. That was awful. _Andi had to struggle not to laugh, not wanting to make Asgore feel any worse. Toriel, on the other hand, openly giggled at the joke, eyes lighting up at the pun.

"Oh! That voice... you are the person on the other side of the door, are you not?" She listened to the conversation, heartbeat slowly returning to normal now that no one was trying to set her on fire. She was so... so relieved, that the friends she had made-from all across the Underground-had come to the castle just to keep them safe. To do anything they could to keep them alive. _Sa__f__e... the barrier. _She turned to the entrance, the sight of the setting sun lurking just out of her reach.

What... was the barrier, exactly? Was it like the barrier in the memory, an invisible wall that kept them in? Or was it something else? "Hmmm." Branching off from the others, not noticing Frisk's eyes trail over to her, she wandered up the slight incline towards the mouth of the cave. Slow, steady steps. The sound of the magic around her got louder the farther she moved away from the others, her ears only hearing the ever-growing thrum of energy. Loud, vibrating through her skull, and left an odd buzz in the back of her mind. _Why do I... feel so...?_

Her legs were nearly pulled out from underneath her, and with a startled cry, Andi was dragged backwards across the cavern. The force released her as fast as it began, and she stumbled backwards before falling to the ground. "What-Sans?" His eye was returning to its normal color, but there was blue still drifting around the socket. The other monsters looked at her in a mix of worry and disappointment. Frisk though... she couldn't quite tell what her reaction was. There was worry, yes, but... there was something else. "What... what just happened?"

"A-Andi, do... do you know how the barrier works?" She shook her head at Alphys' question. A red glove was held out in front of her, and she grabbed Papyrus' hand and let him pull her up.

"I know that it keeps everyone down here, and that seven human souls will break it. But... what was that?" For that brief moment, she felt... drained, as if what strength she had was being drawn away through thousands of tiny needles, plunged deep into her body.

Toriel's face was sober, her laughter from Sans' joke long gone. "When the barrier was created, it did not take long for us to determine what was needed to break it. Monsters who were curious, and thought that the human magicians' magic was no match for our own, inspected it. They walked up to it, not knowing of the consequences."

"The barrier... drains the life force of those who get to close." Their attention was on Asgore now. "Monsters had turned to dust, and any animal who crossed the barrier and tried to return suffered the same fate." The hole... she never felt anything then, when they fell down. _It's a one-way effect. Anyone c__an __get in, but nothing c__an __leave. _"The barrier would increase in power with each life taken. Our top scientists were the ones to determine that seven human souls would be needed, as it was the same number of magicians who trapped us down here."

"ARE YOU FEELING BETTER NOW, ANDI?" Papyrus still held onto her, and she nodded. Sans pulling her away snapped whatever spell was over her, throwing whatever energy the barrier took back into her.

"S-sorry, guys. I just... I-I..." another hand grabbed her shoulder, and she looked down at Sans.

"it's hard to not get drawn to it. should've given you a heads-up." _He's beating himself up over this. _Drawn to it... it wasn't a magic thing. It was the Surface. Sunlight. F... freedom, just a short walk away.

"I should've been smarter, knowing that it wasn't a great idea to just waltz up to a centuries old magical barrier. You two can... can let go now." It took a few seconds, but once the brothers were certain she wasn't going to drop, they let her go, arms hesitantly falling back to their sides.

"Hey, don't get so down, punk!" Undyne clapped her on the back, almost knocking her over. "It was an honest mistake!"

"UDNYNE! DON'T BREAK THE HUMAN!" _Yes, don't break the human. _Undyne laughed, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Heh. Sorry," she apologized. "But really, there's nothing wrong with being down here. There's plenty of interesting things to do."

"Ye-yeah! Things to do, m-monsters to meet. You k-know what they say, sometimes you need to look o-on the bright side, and m-maybe... meet a cute... fish?" _Uh... what? _Alphys seemed to realize her words, face lighting up like a Christmas tree when she saw all of them staring at her. "I-it's a metaphor!"

"Well... I think it's a good analogy." The scales reddened further at Undyne's input, the guard flashing her a fanged grin.

Should she say something about that? _No. It's definitely cute, but now's not the time. _Still... "does this mean... Frisk and I are stuck down here?" Frisk wrapped a hand around her own, looking up at her at the elder's quiet words. "We can't... go back?"

"My child..." a warm furred hand rested on her cheek, and she looked to Toriel's amber eyes. "Unless you take another monster's soul, I am afraid so." She... Andi didn't want to kill anyone. No. No, not after what she saw in Chara's memories; of the last timeline. "But even so... looking at all of the great friends you have made... I think you two will be happy here."

The warmth retracted from her skin, and Andi looked around. Everyone's faces were comforting, reassuring... happy. Even Asgore's, who only minutes ago tried to kill them, had managed to offer them a small smile. Happy? In the Underground? _It's... just like Sans said. We have everything we need down here. What awaited us out there? _A lot. A lot was out there. She still had Lois, Charles, and Terrence to get back to; she still had her students. But... she couldn't. Andi couldn't bring herself to murder anyone, no matter the reason. _Sans... Frisk and him said the perfect ending. But this... isn't perfect. We didn't break the barrier. _Were they missing something? Skipped a portion of the puzzle? _Frisk, what are we missing? _

Her head was bowed, and slowly, Andi's own tiny smile surfaced. Frisk... she had a plan. She knew what she was doing, somewhat. They would still get out and make it to the Surface. No matter how long it took, be it days, or months; they would get out. "I think... I'd like that, Toriel." Andi brought her head up, her grip on Frisk's hand still snug. "I think we'd like that a lot." _Living here... it wouldn't be too bad, would it? _

"... h-hey, that reminds me. Papyrus... YOU called everyone here, right? Well, besides, uh, her..." Alphys gestured to Toriel, breaking the pleasant silence that followed the older human's words. "... uh, anyway... if I reached the hall before you... how did you know how to call everybody?"

"LET'S JUST SAY..." Papyrus' face brightened, proud of the Royal Scientist asking such a question. "A TINY FLOWER HELPED ME."

_... __what? _It was if someone had hit the breaks; the entire world freezing at Papyrus' innocent answer. _Did... he just...? _"A... t-tiny flower...!?" The Royal Scientist's words were ignored, while Andi's adrenaline took off at the word. Flower... a tiny... flower. _No. No, no, no. _

Pure, unfiltered fear. That was what shot through Andi's heart and mind. _A... talking flower-Papyrus. __Predictions. __Speaks to him. _"Sa-Frisk?" Sans sockets had gone black, knowing exactly what what she was thinking. Frisk's own face was blank, expressionless. Though, her eyes were focused on the ground behind the monsters. Waiting for... "we got to get out of here."

"Human?" She barely could hear Undyne's concern over the pounding in her ears. The ground trembled, almost sending everyone to their knees.

"We gotta move!" Rock and dirt burst into the air, and six thorned vines erupted from behind them. "N-Sans!" Sans was the closest, one vine aimed at his back, and lashed forward to meet the blue material of his hoodie.

... time was a tricky thing, Andi had realized. Between the loads, and the resets, and the different timelines, it all blended together. Blended, or separated. Sped up, or slowed down. At that moment, it slowed, but... not for her.

A flash of light, and footsteps far quicker than her own, and the thuds of plant matter falling to the ground from where they rose. In front of Sans, holding the worn dagger that she had seen in the memory, Frisk panted from moving so quickly. The blade dripped with plant sap, having torn through the foliage like it was butter. She glanced over her shoulder, smiled nervously at the skeleton. "heh... heh..." he looked from the blade to Frisk, and gave a tense grin. "good job, kid."

"Hee hee! Well, isn't this interesting?" _There he is. _Flowey popped up behind the holes the vines left behind, looking at the frazzled child. "You actually interfered! I didn't think you had it in you. Then again, this entire timeline is a lot different than what we're used to, huh?"

"You again?" A hand rested on her shoulder, and it took a moment for Andi to realize it was Toriel-was she shaking?

"What's that? Were you actually surprised to see me again?" She was shaking. Small, violent twitches. "Wow. What an idiot!"

"Who are you calling an idiot?" A flash of blue appeared to her right, and Undyne held the spear at arm's length, pointed end directed at Flowey's head. "You better have a good reason for me to not go weeding." Alphys was hiding behind the taller woman, trembling just as bad as she was. Papyrus was behind Sans, the conversation from Grillby floating to the surface. _Flowey... talks to him. _Did that mean he felt betrayed? She could not see his face, though his stance hinted something along that line.

Toriel and Asgore still stood behind her, not being able to see their faces either. But... she could see Sans and Frisk. The older brother stood in front of Papyrus with an outstretched arm, shielding him from Flowey. Frisk, fairing far better than she was, stood at the very front, hand holding the dagger close to her in case he tried anything else.

Flowey laughed, the threat not bothering him. "Oh, I have plenty. But it's not you I'm interested in talking to." Frisk's hold on the knife stiffened, but didn't leave her spot.

"You attacked Sans. You attacked Andi... why?" Her voice was soft, without a single trace of anger. All the older human could hear was hurt and confusion.

"Why?" It was the flip of a switch. The mocking smile shifted to a cruel, malicious grin. "Because I wanted to make it clear to you."

"clear about what?" Sans, though, his voice was angry. It was a hidden anger, but she could hear it. Flowey's beady black eyes hovered over the eight of them, stopping on Frisk. A soft glow came from in front of her, and the girl's red soul was pulled out into the open.

"... you're trying to end the resets, aren't you? Your friend there, all of the different actions you've taken; you're hoping to get that 'perfect' ending you so desperately want." _Flowey never heard their conversation in the hall, did he? _He had no clue who she was when she arrived in the Underground. Then... where was he the whole time Chara-Frisk was battling Sans? What was he doing then?

"Resets?" Flowey ignored Alphys' uneasy murmur, confused at the odd word.

"You think you're really clever, don't you?" He continued. "Able to fool around, seeing what could happen, and then stop altogether."

"... I can." Frisk managed to speak, waiting for the pause in his sentences before he could continue. "A-and I will... you're playing things differently too."

Andi hated that fanged smile, and she hated how she hadn't said anything yet. "... you... why are you doing this? If you know what Frisk is able to do, then why don't you let her do it?"

The malicious grin froze, and turned into an enraged frown. "You don't get it, do you? Of course, you don't. She's tried everything," Flowey hissed, yellow petals ruffling. "Everything. You think I don't like the idea of going to the Surface? But let me make this clear to you, human, it is never going to happen." He buried himself into the ground, and popped up several feet closer. He was a few steps away from Frisk, and Sans pulled her back to keep the distance. "She can say all she wants that she's going to stop-resets, different timelines, but she is just. Like. Me! The temptation of toying with lives, and seeing new fates is too great not to resist."

"Th-that's not it..." Frisk's voice was weak, shrinking into the skeleton's hoodie.

"Oh, isn't it? I know what you did last timeline, Frisk. And now, you act like everything's perfect again? Has Sans honestly forgiven you for your actions? Hurting his family, bringing fear and suffering to the Underground?"

"Shut it." _Finally. _She was hoping she'd find her voice. Her earlier attempt was nowhere near as great as she would've liked. "You know nothing, about what Frisk's been through. You don't know her reasons, or her feelings." _I don't know her feelings, but no way am I letting you say anything more. _Andi pulled herself forward, freeing herself from Toriel's grasp, and raised the hiking pole to her open hand. With a pop, she ripped the plastic end off the tool, letting it fall to the ground at her feet with a soft clatter. "I'm going to make myself clear, Flowey." She pointed the sharpened metal point at his stem, and put her other hand on Frisk's shoulder. "If you'd rather not have yourself impaled and burnt to a crisp, I'd get going. Right now."

Flowey blinked. "Leave? Hee hee. Ha ha. Ah ha ha ha ha!" _He's laughing. Why is he laughing? _"Leave? No, no. Why would I do that? After all, you see... I got the human souls!"

"What?" Asgore's concern and the exclamation from Flowey drew all seriousness into their small group. _Flowey... a creature without a soul... with six human souls. _

"So, as you can see, there's no point in me leaving," he continued, mimicking a shrug with his stem. "I could take every monster soul in the Underground like I've done before, take on my true form, and we could go at it like before. However... what's the point? If I did that, then you'd reset once you break the barrier afterwards. After all, he doesn't remember everything as exact as I do." Everything... he meant Asriel. Despite them being the same person, it was talking to two different people. "So we're just going to skip right past that, and get to the real fun! After all, I still need one more soul, remember? One more... **before I become god**." His voice was dark, twisted as he spoke the sentence, with a violent jerk of his stem that made her flinch backwards. "I do wonder, what do you think would happen if someone absorbed eight human souls? Hee hee! Wouldn't you like to find out?"

Like hell she would. "Guys...?" _If he absorbed Frisk's and mine, then... then...! _"G-guys?"

"Alphys, not n-!" Undyne's voice stopped short, and the group filtered their attention from Flowey to her and Alphys, who were staring at the entrance back into the Underground. The archway, the only way back into the Underground, was covered in thick vines barbed with red thorns, breaking the rock, dirt, and bricks to seal it shut. _We're trapped._

"Now you're finally getting it!" Andi and Sans were the first to turn their attention back to Flowey, as the others saw their one way out of the area closed. "Are you ready, friends?" His stem cracked viciously to the side, flower head snapped with an unsettling grin. "Let's see how far your determination will get you this time!"

Flowey buried into the ground, and for a small moment, Andi wondered if it was all a bad dream. Another one of Chara's forced memories she had to relive. When the ground underneath their feet though, began to tremble, and break apart as massive vines shot forth towards the ceiling... bad dream? No... she was living in a nightmare now. "Stand back!" At Asgore's order, Andi dragged Frisk towards her and away from Sans, keeping her close as she held the hiking pole in front of her. Sans, still with an arm outstretched, positioned himself to stand in front of them and Papyrus. She still could not make out the others, but she could hear breathing hitch. Fears spike.

It was... disgusting. A grotesque abomination of metal, flesh, and plant matter, growing taller and taller as it formed in front of them, pieces snapping and melting together. The group began to back up, keeping close together, and put distance between themselves and whatever the flower had become. The ground trembled, and on either side, massive cactus-like arms broke free of the dirt, leaving deep trenches behind and flexing dark red claws. Cables shot into the ceiling above, lifting it up off of the ground and pumped material into the body it connected to. Two mouths, one inside of another, with large square teeth that could snap them in half and four rolling and bulging eyes stared down at them, and heavy and copper smelling breath met their faces from high above.

"S-SANS...?" There, at the very top between the eyes, was a television. A cartoony smile appeared on its white screen, until the mouth opened, revealing large blocky teeth. The same teeth as the mouth below and a smile that stretched almost all the way to the top of the television, twisting and-the eyes!

Dark red, with minuscule neon green irises and microscopic black pupils. Trembling, twitching, as if they would pop out of their sockets and fall free from its glass barrier. "F-Frisk? A-a-any ideas?"

Her eyes flickered to Frisk, the older human begging-praying that she had an answer. She... she could find none. The child's face was pale, eyes filled with horror at the sight that befell her. _She... she doesn't know. She doesn't know what to do. _"... none. I... don't."

"AH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HAAAAA!"

* * *

**Guess we can say we're in the home stretch. It is... hard, to describe Omega Flowey. Keeping it vague was the best I could do, since it's so much going on all at once. I've always wondered how the barrier worked, and that idea came to mind. The idea of it just being an invisible barricade didn't seem right, and not as big as a threat.**

**Until next time!**

**Angel**


	21. Weed Killer and Killer Weed

**Disclaimer: So... it's safe to say a normal true-pacifist-Asriel-fight won't be happening. This chapter was one of the most difficult ones to plot, because it wasn't similar to anything that had happened in the game; probably the most difficult, out of everything else that came before it. Also might have overdone it in length, but that's fine.**

**TimeBlade: Never wrote an Omega Flowey fight before, so this should be interesting. Let's see how this goes.**

**I don't own Undertale.**

"Speaking"

_Thinking_

**Chara speaking**

_**Chara thinking**_

* * *

No one moved. No one said anything. The group of eight-the captain of the Royal Guard, the Royal Scientist, two sentries, the former queen, the king, and two fallen humans-and the monstrous plant nightmare that was once a simple buttercup barely taller than her knee. Frisk's grip on the dagger shifted, and she took a small step forward. The chipped tip of the blade was held out towards the abomination, and she went to take another cautious step. The pixelated face's smile stretched at the movement, eyes locked onto her minuscule form.

It happened quickly. Too quickly. A burst of thorn covered vines rushed out of the inner mouth, and Andi shoved past Toriel to grab Frisk and pull her back, sending the two tumbling to the ground as the attack pierced the rock where she had stood. The vines yanked backwards, sending stones flying as they retracted back into Flowey and leaving deep holes behind. "Frisk!?" Had that attack struck her, the child would have had her organs splattered around them, blood staining their clothes ad bones shattered like toothpicks.

"I-I'm okay!" _You're anything but okay! You almost got impaled! _A flash of purple entered her vision, and Asgore stood in front of them, trident at the ready, and sunlight glinting off his armor.

"Toriel, protect the humans. We cannot let them get hurt." Toriel looked down at them, and turned her attention to the rest of the monsters. The king-Asgore was right. If Flowey got hold of their souls, it was game over, for everyone.

"Andi, you are not injured?" She shook her head, though, she wasn't sure if the goat woman could see it or not. "Get Frisk as far back as you can."

"But Toriel-" Toriel stopped her, a ball of flames appearing in an open hand as she turned to look up at the glitching, static filled screen. A human face, shifting through a cycle of undecipherable emotions, scarcely made eye contact back at them.

"Asgore cannot hold him off by himself. Hurry!" Andi scrambled to her feet, keeping a hand around Frisk's dagger-free wrist, and sprinted away from the monsters towards the exit. Her footsteps were kicking up dirt, the sound lost on the rapidly ensuing battle behind them.; distract Flowey, keep him away from them. He wouldn't have been able to go after them with six monsters, all ranging in skills and attacks, fighting him head-on. The vines that trapped them in were thick, thorns sharp enough to prick the plant material that was too close, bleeding the same sap that still clung to the weapon in the child's hand.

Frisk looked up at her, face deathly pale as they came to a stop by the blocked door. Stopping just short enough to avoid running into the thorns. _Breathe, you idiot! Breathe! _"A-Andi?" Her grip around her wrist was rough, and she showed no sign of letting her go.

"This never happened before, has it? Flowey doing... this!?" Her reaction, her fear... Frisk had never had that happen to her before. Flowey turning into an eldritch abomination-how was **she **not breaking down as bad as she should've been!?

"H-he has, but... but Asgore didn't make it out of the fight, and the others never showed up." _So you're saying Flowey killed him, or... you killed him. _She was scared, shying behind the older human. "I-I've dealt with Flowey before, Andi," Frisk continued. "I know how to handle his attacks, b-but..."

"But this timeline's different, which means this fight's different." Given how things just played out, that was no surprise. Andi looked down at her, tucking the pole under her arm and once she released Frisk's wrist, stroked the top of her head. Her heart was in her ears, pounding a mile a minute. Terrified, she was, but she could not afford to break down. Not right now. "We're... we're going to be okay, alright? You've done this before, and you're going to do it again."

"A-Andi, I... I..." they looked up, hearing oncoming movement. Alphys and Papyrus ran over to them, the taller skeleton throwing his hand up once he got close enough to the two humans. Bones, taller than him, were brought up out of the ground around them. A mix of blue and white, even lining the wall and exit behind them.

"H-hold on!" Alphys knelt down, entering the barricade just before it fully closed, and a small wave of yellow magic flowed out of her fingertips. The wave of magic spread around them, fading out once it reached the barricade in faint crackles. "Th-there. That sh-should do the trick."

"What did you do?" She straightened up, adjusting her lab coat and looked at the older human.

"In case F-Flowey tries to attack from underneath, I put an electrical field under the ground. Any attempts to penetrate it will, well... hurt," she explained, giving a small smile at her plan.

"Electricity powers." _That makes... a lot of sense, thinking about it. _The four of them kept their distance from the bone blockade, Frisk gripping her sweater once the knife was put away. It was a mess; flames and seed bullets all over the place. Toriel and Asgore stood close together, hands hurling precisely-aimed fireballs and trident slashing at any vines that got too close to them. Closer to the front, a barrage of glowing spears were hurled at Flowey's arms, sinking into the cactus skin. At the same time, she could make out two long spinning bones in front of Undyne and Sans, blocking a burst of fire from a flamethrow-wait, what? "It's insane. Th-this is insane."

"... I THOUGHT FLOWEY WAS MY FRIEND." Andi shifted her attention to Papyrus. The younger of the two skeletons watched the cursed face intensely, same as the rest, but she did not see the same fear and terror Frisk and Alphys had. Rather, it was of disappointment and confusion. _He feels betrayed. _"I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY HE..."

"There's a... lot we all were unaware of," she said slowly. "Secrets mostly, or common facts that we never saw." Papyrus looked down at her, offering a weak smile. _Guess I look just as distressed as he feels. _Andi returned it, and the two looked back out onto the battlefield. "... we have to do something though."

"Wh-what? F-Flowey, h-he won't let us leave." He would not. They had their one entrance blocked off, and an energy draining wall on the other end. She had no idea about any other monsters, as there were none that she was aware of in the castle. No matter how strong the others were-and she had seen almost all of them in action-there was no way they could rival six human souls. _They're... they're gonna get slaughtered out there. _Asgore, Undyne... Toriel, Sans... murdered. D... dusted.

"I know. I know, we just-we need a plan. Anything." Backing away from the bones, Andi turned around and began to pace. Her head hurt, pounding with each shout as her friends fought for their lives. How was she supposed to plan? How was she supposed to even think!? _Come on! Think! THINK!_

"... h-hey, Andi...?" _Hmm? _Andi glanced at Alphys, paused mid-step. "I-if we can weaken Flowey, w-we might be able to retract the souls from him. Cripple him, y-you know?"

"So not to the point of complete knock out, but enough to hold him down... maybe return him to normal." _How do you weaken the combined strength of six souls? _"Alphys, they're-human strength is going to be needed to combat human defense. Do you have anything that could help with that?"

"Um... well, maybe." Alphys reached into her coat's pockets, and handed her, to the other's surprise, six tiny Mettaton robots. _The same from the fight. _"Individually, I-I'm afraid their blast wouldn't do much. However, if you set them off close together, i-it could form a chain reaction."

"Kaboom." Andi smiled at Frisk's input, seeing a spark beginning to form in her eyes. _Yeah. Kaboom._

"B-but you'd only have one shot, a-and it'd be crazy to e-even try," Alphys continued, voice rising in pitch and stutter worsening. "I-I mean, y-you'd have to avoid all of those attacks, and the o-others' too." They would have to avoid the onslaught from both sides, just to get near Flowey to place the bombs. Everyone right now was serving as a distraction, but the moment one of them got close, all of his attention would be on them.

"We'd have to split up," Andi muttered, gears spinning in her head. "One of us sets the bombs, the other takes on Flowey, head-on with the rest."

"Th-that's crazy! N-neither of you two are capable to deflecting all of those attacks! E-even with Undyne, A-Asgore, and the others, it'd b-be impossible." _No... not impossible. _Frisk had done it. How she had done it, Andi had no idea, but it was enough to prove the girl was quick on her feet. Andi was too, but not in the same way as the younger human. _Frisk has a better chance of dodging everything than me. I should drop the bombs. _However, Frisk fought Flowey in the past. That meant in terms of weak spots, she might be more aware of them than herself.

**... Frisk. **Both humans tilted their heads to the side, forcing back the act of turning to Chara's voice. **Whatever small power you have left, won't be enough to take on six souls at once. **She drifted in front of them, narrowly missing the bones behind her, hands gripping the sides of her green and yellow sweater. **But... but I want this to end. I want to rest, Frisk. **

"... then I'll do it." The four's heads snapped to Frisk. "I'll plant the bombs." She looked to Andi. "But I-we both know... I can't do it alone." _Is... is she really hinting at... Chara?_

**You don't want to get impaled or roasted, right? It's the only way. **It... was. Oh, she was going to feel awful at the end of it. "HUMANS?" She ignored Papyrus, her full attention on the deceased girl. _Are you __absolutely __sure? _She had to know, if what they were thinking was going to be safe. She had to have some inkling that things would work in their favor.

**Positive. Now... let me show you what it means to be in control. **Andi nodded, and looked to Papyrus and Alphys. Chara's wording could have been better, but she was right. For this to work, the woman had to not be in control. The two monsters were quiet, watching the strange silence that fell between the humans. "Papyrus," she said at last. "Lower one of the bones."

"ARE YOU SURE?" A chill swept over her, and she looked at Chara's hand resting on her shoulder before returning to his concerned-filled sockets.

"Heh... completely sure, Papyrus."_Let's do it, Chara._

**Gladly. **Possession. It was... odd. One second, Andi was in the front. The next, she felt herself getting shoved backwards, hurled into a darkness with only a window of the outside world to provide light. She could still hear, and feel, and see, but the movements of her body were no longer her own. The older human closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to steady herself... and opened them, revealing the same red eyes from her memories. "A-Andi...?"

She... she wasn't Andi. _Not right now. _"Frisk, switch with me." Frisk stuttered, but hurried to take the hiking pole from Chara, handing her the dagger in its place. Smiling at the familiar feel of her weapon in her hand, back where it rightfully belonged, she turned back to the ongoing brawl outside of the protective cage. "Lower it, Papyrus."

It wasn't her voice. It was her mouth, speaking the command, but she wasn't the one saying it. Papyrus... could he tell it was someone else? Did he see the change in eye color, and hear the voice alter? He didn't answer, but after a few seconds, one of the blue bones vanished, leaving a small gap that they could squeeze through. "Ready?"

Frisk adjusted the pole, shrinking it down to her size and adjusting the strap to her wrist. "Ready." _Let's do this, Chara. _Her mouth's corners went up, and she jumped out of the opening. Frisk followed, and giving a final look at Papyrus and Alphys, they took off into the fray, taking a few extra seconds for her to throw the bag off to the side. _It's not like constant healing will help us now._

Running across the cavern floor was far more difficult than running around the judgment hall. There were dips and curves to the ground, and at some places, the dirt would give under Chara's boot, sliding her foot backwards. Frisk was right behind her, both hands gripping the pole to avoid tripping on it. "Wait for the distraction. Move along the side of the wall."

"Good luck." Frisk kept her eyes on her guardian, before splitting off towards the right side of the cave. Flowey's six eyes did not pick up on her, too preoccupied with the four monsters in front of him. _That'll change in an instant. The moment he sees that we aren't kept at the back, he's going to change his attacks. _Chara nodded at her input, adjusting her grip on the dagger. _You fast?_

_**Very. **_A shadow swept over her, and she looked up. A cactus arm had shifted, and began its descent towards the ground. "Heh." She pivoted on the spot, twisting herself around and rushed towards her adoptive parents. The limb hit the ground, sending a shock wave that forced her to jump over, narrowly having the ground give out underneath her feet. Toriel turned in her direction, amber eyes wide in horror.

"My child!" Chara's confident smile almost slipped at the words. "I told you to stay back!"

"You did." She slid to a stop beside her, watching as Asgore knocked back a bomb and sent it spiraling towards Flowey's screen face. The plant monster pulled himself to the side, the attack soaring past and striking the ground behind him. "Keep distracting Omega Flowey. Don't let him spot Frisk."

"Frisk?" Asgore glanced at the two, still keeping himself prepared for the next attack. "Where's-?"

"Just follow my lead, and don't let him catch on." Chara had to admit, it was rather difficult to keep up the mask. When she was with Frisk, she never spoke. It helped that the child wasn't the talkative type. "Just get ready to attack when I need you to." Andi though, she did speak, and right now, she had to share some of the plan with the others. _**Come on, Flowey. Any second now.**_

_Any second until what? _The blaring of a siren pierced the air, and the boss monsters and human looked to the TV face in alert. A heart took the screen, replacing the twisted black and white face from before. _The patient soul. _At once, the vines, bombs, and other attacks retracted, and Chara adjusted her footing. "Incoming!" White knives flew towards them, and she could hear Undyne give a curse from where they stood. Spinning around with enough speed to make dodging possible, Chara abandoned her spot by Toriel's side and ran-twirled her way to the front.

Tips of sharpened blades nipped at her sweater, grazing the already-scarred skin underneath from Flowey's previous attack in Waterfall. _**Better time this right, Frisk. **_Andi shifted in the back of her mind, and she had to force herself not to focus on it. _Chara, are all the souls going to do this? _This, meaning the unique attack. "Grrr." _**Yes. Each soul will attack with its specific form of offence. We can't take down Flowey until every one of them has a go.**_

_What makes you think that will happen? _She had a right to be concerned. Nothing was going to what any of them was used to. True, the patience soul was right on track. She couldn't predict the other five, whether or not they would attack in order. _**I just-look, do you have any other ideas or not? No? That shut up and let me do my thing. **_

_... snappy. _The knives disappeared, and at once, a barrage of missiles were fired from the plant monster's back. Step backwards, side-step, and rush forwards once again. The same sort of movement the woman had seen when she possessed Frisk, playing out through her own body. The wailing siren ripped through the cavern, and Chara looked up long enough to see the orange glow on the television. _**Magic gloves. Once we get past this, we should be up with the others. **I hope Frisk's having more luck than we are. _That... probably not. Still, it was a nice thought. "Heh... you and me both, Andi."

* * *

The barrier hurt. True, she did not come close enough to the exit of the cave for its energy-draining powers to affect her, but her head did feel off. Woozy. _Okay, Frisk. You just need to... to get on top of Flowey. _Get on top of him, find the souls, and plant the bombs. Easy... i-it was going to be easy.

Juggling the tiny Metattons in her arms, she ran through the trench, ducking each time she saw the beast turn in her direction. As far as Flowey knew, she was back hiding with Alphys and Papyus, while Andi was being an idiot and running out there to try and help the others. They had the element of surprise with them. _Now I have to use it... somehow. _

"How do I get up there?" She tilted her head to the side, staring up at Flowey. There were no vines, no legs. There was nothing to easily grab hold of, and climbing would take far too long. The hiking pole dangled from her wrist, dragging on the ground, the metal spike leaving a tiny rut in the dirt. Helpful, but still useless at that point. _Chara's up next. _She looked over at Undyne and Sans, still taking the brunt of the attacks. _You have one HP, Sans. Wouldn't it be better to keep a distance? _Perhaps it was a range matter? No matter. She had to wait, wait for Chara to act. _Hurry, guys._

* * *

Sans hated this.

He had been through a lot, since the kid had fallen down there. He'd said puns, joked with friends. He'd cope with what he'd seen; sometimes too well for his taste. Assisting the kid, and taking on what was the abomination combination of a soulless flower and six human souls... that was a new one, and he hated it. He hated it with his entire being.

"Move!" He teleported to the side, avoiding the oncoming lines of white ballet slippers. Large slippers, almost as tall as him, rising and falling as they approached them. Abandoning her spears, Undyne took a running start and slid under the rows, their hardened toes stabbing the ground and narrowly missing her head.

The attacks having passed, circular bursts of bullets appeared around them, and zoomed in to meet them. Dodging and teleporting; he was glad to have both. Undyne was showing her years of Royal Guard training, flipping and ducking around the bullets as they got closer. With each ring, once it got close enough, erupted in a loud snap akin to a firecracker.

"Heads up!" The vines shot from his mouth, dozens of them, and tore into the ground in front of his feet. The rocks that burst outward as they retreated back, readying for another launch. "Sans!" The movement sent the skeleton tumbling backwards, and the vines returned again. "Sans!"

_so much for loading. _He scrunched his sockets closed, ready for the plant to rip through his torso, and spread his dust around the cavern's floor. _... i'm not... what? _He wasn't dead. Why wasn't he dead? _why aren't i... huh? _He opened a socket, not caring which one it was, and the other popped open in surprise. "andi?"

"Wow, comedian. And here I thought that you wanted us to do whatever it took to break the barrier." _no... _Andi looked over her shoulder, and red eyes flashed back at him. The ghost-Andi... what the hell were they doing? "Lift her onto his back."

"lift h-the k-?" She was in front of him, holding her weaponless hand over his teeth.

"If I were you, I'd be smarter on what I say when we're trying to live. Gravity magic. Lift her onto his back." He pulled her hand away, the words repeating in his head. Frisk... onto Flowey's back. _what are you planning? _"Any time now, skeleton."

"mm." Holding back a remark, his eye lights flickered from the woman... child? "oh cr-move!" Sans grabbed her wrist, pulling her down the ground with him. A torrent of large houseflies buzzed past, just where her head was, directly into an awaiting Venus flytrap near Undyne. The monster was plastered to the dirt, same as them, avoiding the loud buzzing wings and beady black eyes.

"Guess we're even," Chara quipped. "Now, do you mind?"

"right or left side?" He'd have to put up a front. If the murdercup saw that he was using his powers, but nothing was visibly happening, he'd get suspicious. He'd have to be able to spot the kid, and perhaps use a blaster to provide cover. A blaster required almost the same amount of magic power, so seeing his socket glowing wouldn't generate any questions.

"Right." Sans and Andi-Chara stood up, and he flashed her a wink. Letting his magic kick in, he summoned two blasters on either side of them. The hum of energy was already there, their eyes locked onto Flowey with low, angry growls.

"Whoa..." he dismissed Undyne's awe. To be honest, he should have expected that. Besides Papyrus and the humans, no one else ever saw them. He had an image to keep, and right now, he was putting in a lot more effort than he usually a doubt, he had taken them by surprise when he stayed at the front, helping keep Flowey away from the others. Out of the corner of his socket, poking out of the rut where Flowey had ripped one of the cactus-like arms free, he could make out the wispy brown of Frisk's short hair. _three... two... one. _

He fired, one blaster ripping through the newly summoned purple soul's attacks and striking just below the beast's two mouths. A pained shriek left Flowey, fresh sap spilling out onto the rocks below, and Sans hurried to fire again, this time, at the ground just in front of them. A massive cloud of pebbles and dirt sprang into the air, and he could hear the girls' ragged coughing. "D-Dang it, Sans!" Undyne shouted between coughs. "Why'd you miss!?" With a smirk, eye still bathed in blue, he flicked two fingers upwards, and watched Frisk soar out of the pit and up towards the cavern's ceiling, disappearing over Flowey. _go get em', bud._

* * *

Landing onto the large metal platform atop Flowey's back... could've been a bit more graceful. Sans dropped her on the early side, not waiting long enough for her to be directly over the top. Flowey's entire back was composed of organic material, save for the hexagonal plate, and she managed to land at the edge of it. Had she missed, and touched the fleshy surface, he would have sensed her presence.

The hexagonal plate, where six capsules were set up at each corner. Where the fallen human souls were trapped for the past few decades. The glass was lit up in each souls' respective trait, shining much more than when Asgore had displayed them minutes ago. _He's abusing their... essence? _She wasn't sure what the correct word was. They were all in pain, that was clear. Acting almost like batteries to power Flowey's transformation. She had to act quickly.

"Don't worry, guys." She ran towards the dark blue soul, taking one of the robots and carefully placing it beside the container. Tugging at the arms, she spun the bomb around to face the glass, and positioned it in a hug. _Won't stick otherwise. _"We'll get you out of there."

The soul's color flickered, and through its pain, drifted closer to the wall. They didn't remember. They couldn't recall how many times Flowey had subjected them to that terrible procedure. But they knew who was on the side of good. Who wanted to stop him, and free them from their suffering. _In this case, with Undyne and Asgore helping us... do they hate them?_

She attached the bombs to the orange and green souls, patting the top of the latter's capsule before proceeding to the yellow heart. The justice trait. The soul stayed at the back, more cautious around the child than the others. "We're going to win," she whispered, throwing a look at the back of Flowey's head. "I know you don't trust us." It spun around, and she could only imagine the deceased child turning his head and scoffing. "But we're going to end this. And... we need your help to do so." Frisk finished with the bomb, and shuffled over to the purple soul, having moved closer to watch the interaction. "Help me break the barrier, and then... you can finally rest." Them, and Chara. All of them could finally rest.

"...!" She glanced at the final soul. The other half of Andi's. _Patience. _The youngest of the fallen children. It was one of the... true pacifist endings, and she had a long discussion with Toriel about the ones who came before her. It had taken some motivation to finally ask, but she was curious about the fates of the children who she knew only through the fights with Flowey and Asriel. Beverly, a little seven year old girl with curly dark brown hair and tanned skin, and a smile filled with wonder that only a child could hold. The ribbon was always worn on the right side of her in a neat bow, and had fallen out when she fell into one of the pit traps in the Ruins during one of her final days. The ribbon, was currently holding Andi's hair back in the ponytail she wore throughout her own journey.

How Beverly died... she didn't know. Sans probably didn't either. He knew about the green soul, but Beverly was the first one to fall into the Underground. He might not have even been alive then. "Please... I just want this to end. I just... want to save my friends."

The arms clicked into place, and the soul, through the charges still shooting through it, softened its glow. "Heh... thank you, Beverly." The glow flickered brightly at the mention of its name, and she smiled. _It's __up to them__ now. _"Okay... so." She glanced around at the six souls, her smile a little more mischievous "Here's the plan..."

* * *

Jaws mashed together, as the boggling eyes continued to roll in their sockets, never fully straying from her form as she danced around the floor. Asgore and Toriel had gotten closer to them, launching fireball after fireball to deflect the massive infernos raining down around them from summoned frying pans.

"Keep moving, punk!" Undyne barked, grabbing Chara's collar and tugging to the side. Sans' teleportation skills proved highly effective, any missed attacks missing him by inches with a smile on his face. _**Come on! Where's the-?**_

The nerve-wracking siren blared out, and the final soul made its appearance across the screen. Yellow soul. _Finally__**. **_She could hear Andi sigh in relief, and her own mouth grew into a confident grin. _**Bring it. **_A massive gun was brought out from behind the television screen, a vine wrapped securely around the handle, and pointed it down at them. "Here it comes!"

Bullets, almost as big as Frisk, shot out in bursts of two and three at a time. "Get back!" The fallen child would have ignored Toriel's alarmed shout, and continued to focus on the attacks. However, that was before the vine began to move side to side, up and down, and attempted shooting at them from different angles. In addition to Andi's already worn out body, not completely healed from Flowey's earlier attack in Waterfall, she rushed to the former queen and took refuge behind her. Sans warped next to her, and Undyne slid to a stop behind Asgore. "Stay behind me, my child."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Chara muttered. Deflecting them was difficult. Summoned spears, bones, and fireballs were hurled at the massive bullets, causing them to explode mid-air. Any that missed struck the ground nearby, making small craters in the ground. Could she have dodged them by herself? Of course. She and Frisk had faced Flowey's six-soul form many times. She knew all of the attacks off by heart. _Just don't want to take the risk, huh?_

**_Y__eah. _**The black and white face flicked off, and the disturbing face from before, same red eyes and same blocky toothed mouth, returned. The tiny pupils stared down at them, the smile widening to an impossible size. **_What are you planning? _**"Hee hee!" The large vine readjusted itself, hoisting the muzzle upwards, and fired.

The three bullets whizzed past, and a spear ripped through one of them, sending the severed pieces falling to the ground in an explosion. Several fireballs took down the second one, and a bone embedded itself in the third. The ensuing blasts left a thin veil of smoke in the air, the smell of gunpowder hitting Chara's nose. Hearing was muffled, a common action with the last attack, and she squinted upwards at the gun. _**It's still pointed upwards. Wh-? **_"Oh!"

Chara spun around, and behind her, flying free from the smoke cloud, was a fourth bullet. _Crap! _Andi's reaction was exactly as she herself was feeling. A bullet, using the smoke as a cover to fly across them, headed straight to the other side of the cavern, and right to the blockade that the younger skeleton had made.

"papyrus!" The brawl was happening around the midway point of the cavern, Flowey taking up the upper half; he kept himself just far enough away from the edge of the barrier to avoid its curse. As much as the human knew Sans wanted to run to him, to try and get Papyrus out of there, there was no way he would reach them in time. Running, or teleporting.

It was hard, to tell exactly what was happening to the other two monsters. From their distance, they couldn't make out their exact features. Their expressions as the bullet reached them. What she could see, though, was rather surprising. And, for one such as Chara, it was hard to surprise her.

A flash of movement flying upwards, up over the blockade of bones, missing the bullet by seconds. An explosion that scorched the vines barricading the door, and setting fire to the foliage around them. Papyrus landed on the ground with Alphys on his back, arms wrapped around his neck, and a long blue bone held in one hand, the other keeping the Royal Scientist in place. _He vaulted. How did-how much strength and speed did that even require?_

She didn't have an answer for that. Chara had never seen Papyrus show his complete strength. Perhaps that was because, when Frisk was battling him in Snowdin, he was already hesitant in his attacks. When her HP got low enough, he would take her to their shed and leave her there. _**Undyne was right. He is tough. **_The two of them rushed towards the rest of the group, and Sans almost melted in relief. "Alphys!" Undyne plucked her off his back once they were close enough. "You okay?"

"I-I'm fine." Her lab coat was burnt at the ends, and she smelled of ash, as did Papyrus. But they weren't injured. "P-Papyrus?"

"I AM FINE," the usual pep was gone, and he was clearly on edge. Edge... he-Flowey wasn't attacking. Why wasn't he attacking? _Char-!_

Thorn arms smashed the ground, sending a shock wave through the cavern as all six eyes stared down at them. Drool trailed from the mouths, dripping from its wheezing maw onto the dirt. The quake sent the human to her knees, scraping the fabric open, and she bit her lip to hold back a shout. Her legs hurt, and rocks and dirt entering the bloody wounds. The red and blue soul pulsed in sync with her heartbeat, and through it all, Chara kept a neutral look. Brows narrowed, and the corners of her mouth dropping to a slight frown. Two sets of hands grabbed each of her arms, and Papyrus and Undyne hoisted her back up. _Dang it. _She was limping; the right leg buckled under her weight.

"Hee hee! Great job, friend." The red eyes stared at Papyrus, smile twitching as much as his pupils. "I always had a feeling you'd be Royal Guard material. You're much stronger than I'd taken you for. Now then... where is she?" Frisk. He was looking for Frisk. _Why doesn't he just focus on our soul? _Chara's grip on the dagger tightened, and her frown deepened. _**He wants revenge against Frisk. He's furious with her. **_"Well? I'm waiting."

"Hiding," she replied. "Out of sight, and away from you." Lies. Absolute lies, but she had to keep leading him on.

"Sure. Whatever you say. But do you really think you can defeat ME!? I am the god of this world! I know everything that will happen. All of your pitiful attempts at trying to have your 'happy ending'. You... are pathetic." Her breathing was off, and she reached up to her mouth to swipe at the blood forming in the corner. "Golly! That's right, isn't it?" The screen changed, and she stared up into Flowey's true face. "You wouldn't have even gotten this far had it not been for Frisk."

The hand free of the dagger shook in a fist, nails digging into her skin. Chara... she was not Andi. She was not Frisk. She wanted to shout at Flowey. To defend herself, call him out on his words. She... she wanted to cry out for her brother, who had been trapped in that horrible nightmare for decades. _**... **__**Andrea? **_

_Chara, I... _"without her help... you're useless." The image changed, and she heard Toriel gasp. His features were Frisk's, and even with the dull smile, the eyes held emotions that Frisk would never display. As quickly as it appeared, his facial features returned to normal. "Useless, and alone."

Alone.

Alone; she... she was-_you're not alone. You, are not alone, __Chara. _In her mind's eye, she could see the woman staring back at her. _You don't have to suffer anymore. _Was... who was... holding her hand?

"we're right behind ya, ands." Ands, she... was Sans talking to Andi, or to her? "we're not goin' anywhere." _You are not alone, Chara. We're all right here, ready to help. _They... they were there for her. That was... _**nice. It's... nice. **_The perfect ending... y-yeah. Yeah, she was going to get them their ending. Chara-she... she was going to finish what she started.

For good this time.

She let Sans' hand fall from her own, and she stepped forward. Would he fire vines, rip her chest open in a bloody spray? Fire that cursed giant laser from his massive mouth? She was worried, but scared? No, she was not. "That's the thing, isn't it, Flowey? No matter what happens, it's impossible to get a perfect ending. Nothing's perfect... I would know. But that doesn't mean that I won't try to achieve it. To make everyone happy, to break the barrier, to have monsters live on the surface where they belong."

Flowey's twisted face returned with a low hiss; an attempt to scare her, no doubt. _**I am not alone. I am not alone. I am not. Alone. **_"And you should know this very well, Flowey... that I always like to go out with a bang." That did the trick. The red eyes and large mouth vanished, and the flower's face returned as quickly as it disappeared, giving her a confused look. "Heh. Ready, Frisk!?"

"Ready!" Flowey's head filled most of the screen, the closeness of the fallen child's voice alarming him.

"Asgore, fire at his back, now!" The mighty king nodded at Chara's command, recalling her earlier orders. A burst of fire appeared in his paw, and he hurled it towards the abomination with his full strength. Had it been any other monster, no way would they be able to get the height and speed to reach up to Flowey's height. The faint sound of footsteps squishing into flesh and metal from above got closer, and the brown, blue, and purple blur that was Frisk appeared at the top of his head. The attack soared over her head, and she threw a look over her shoulder as it came crashing down... and into space where the six human souls were stored.

The ensuing explosion behind Frisk nearly knocked her off the television's top, a blast of heat that continued to scorch the plant and tissue. A shard fell from the glass screen, followed by several others, crashing and splintering on the ground below. Hairline fractures spread across the screen line a spiderweb, and Flowey's eyes widened in horrified disbelief as Frisk, with a small shout, jumped off his head and flew past his face, with six balls of colorful light following right behind her. _The souls. __**Got that right. **_

Chara shoved past Sans, not letting him get a chance to activate his magic and bring her down safely. Frisk, sailing to the ground below, twisted herself around mid-air. The pole was free from her wrist, and held it in the middle with the point aimed at Flowey. The souls swirled around Frisk, and with determination that had carried the young girl through countless of timelines, hurled the hiking pole at Flowey's face. The souls chased after it, spinning around the middle and creating a whirlwind of blue, green, purple, yellow, and orange.

_Atta, girl. _The soul-fueled attack ripped through the glass, shards dropping to the ground, and bursts of white shone out from the television. His face was no longer distinguishable, but the enraged and terrified shriek was not lost on them. Frisk fell, and Chara skid to a stop right below her arms outstretched. "Aah!" She dropped into her arms, and the humans tumbling to the ground from the momentum. The detonation's noise increased, and Chara tucked Frisk's head into the crook of her shoulder, holding onto her and closing her own eyes.

White. The final discharge ripped through the cavern, and she felt her entire body heat up. The smell of burnt flesh and ash met her nose, and Chara forced herself not to hurl. They had to move. They had to get out of there, but she was so sore. "Ch-Chara..." Frisk whimpered, and her grip on the child increased. _**Any second now. Any second, and it'll be all over.**_

A pair of hands grabbed her shoulders, and Chara gave a startled cry as she was pulled backwards into a pair of awaiting arms. Warm, but cooler than the inferno Frisk and her had unleashed. "I got you, my children." _**Of course you do, mom. **_Another pair of arms wrapped around them, and she smelled flowers. _**Dad. **_Behind her eyelids, the world was white for several more seconds. White, and then dark, and then... quiet. It was... quiet. "... Toriel?" The arms on either side of them shifted, and relaxed to let Chara bring her head up. In front of her, Toriel and Asgore blocked the explosion, parts of their robes scorched black. Toriel smiled down at her, but the relieved look flickered slightly. _**What is she-oh. **_Her eyes. They were still red. _**Andi, do you want to-?**_

_Yes, please. _It was a slingshot moment. Her face scrunched up, and the woman was yanked forwards back into the metaphorical driver's seat. She blinked, adjusting to the light again. Toriel was focused on Frisk, the younger human bringing her face up from the elder's sweater. "Are you alright, my child?"

"Y-yeah, I'm... I'm fine. A-Andi?" The former queen and king looked to her, and she took note of Toriel's confusion at the change in eye color.

"I'm fine." She looked over her shoulder behind her. The others-Undyne, Alphys, Papyrus, and Sans-were on the ground, same as them. Low and close together to avoid the blast. Undyne was gripping Alphys to her side, flattening them to the dirt as the brothers laid together, one arm over each other's back. Their heads slowly lifted up, and Andi grinned back at them. **Andi. Flowey, remember? **_Flow-oh, right. _Asgore and Toriel shuffled around, and the four stared at the wreckage Frisk had unleashed. Still smoldering plant matter was scattered about, as well as the human-like flesh. Metal was strewn over the room too, broken in large pieces. Cables still hung from the ceiling, swinging back and forth dangerously. "... huh."

"You two okay?" Andi turned back around, seeing the others finally walk over to them. Clothing blackened in spots just like the rest of them, covered in scratches and dirt and smoke. Undyne flashed her a fanged smile, and laughed. "Never knew you had that much guts, punk. That was some show."

"Yeah, I... didn't know what came over me." Frisk giggled, and Sans' grin twisted slightly at the indirect joke. "So, is it over?"

"... over?" Andi's head snapped back towards the exit of the Underground. Surrounded by glass, and the broken remains of the television that made up his monstrous head, Flowey stood, head bowed and petals torn at the edges. "No... it's not over."

"Flowey..." Frisk pulled herself to her feet, same as the others, watching the plant warily.

"Why...? Why won't you... just give up already?" A petal lifted, and the girls could see the beaten white face that hid underneath. His glare was weak, exhausted just like the rest of them. "Why...?"

"... because we won't. We can't." Andi stepped forward, one cautious step at a time. "Everyone deserves the chance to see sunlight. To feel... the warmth of their skin, and the wind in their... petals." Flowey scoffed, but his head wasn't drooping as much as it was before. "Flowey." She stopped a foot away from him, and knelt down. "... Asriel."

The name was whispered, low so that Asgore and Toriel wouldn't hear it. Flowey did though. His head snapped up, staring at her with an expression she couldn't place. "Please... let us use the souls to break the barrier. Let us end this nightmare for good." Where were the souls, now that she thought about it? She didn't see them anywhere, but knowing Frisk, they must still be around somewhere, ready to help free their friends.

"... you really think that this will work, don't you?" Flowey averted his eyes, uncomfortable with the attention from the group. "... Frisk, you know what I have to do for... you to see me properly, right?" Hearing her name, Frisk wandered up to them. _What he has to do?_ _It took six souls for Flowey to turn into... that. _What was he missing? "I need more than just the six human souls."

"... you... need one more," Andi murmured. "And if it's not Frisk and me, then..." she knew what he was hinting at. The plaques in Waterfall, saying how it took almost every monster soul to equal the power of a single human's. _He... has to... _"Sans?"

"... no other way to do it, right?" The same look from the memory, where Frisk had requested him to kill her in order for her to reset, returned to his face.

"Do what?" Frisk and Andi exchanged a short look, and the younger of the humans answered Toriel.

"To break the barrier, we need to another soul. Enough monster souls equals the power of a human's." She paused, and watched as the realization came to the monster's eyes. "Yeah..."

"You want that weed to absorb our souls?" Undyne exclaimed, voice sore from barking orders. "How hard did you hit your head!?"

"My child, are you... certain, that this is the only way to break the barrier?" Certain? _Toriel, if anyone knows how to take it down, it's Frisk. _

"... you want to free the monsters?" The question wasn't directed at her, or Asgore. Frisk was addressing all six of them. "You want to... to bring everyone to the Surface? Then this... is the only way. P... Please, mom. Just trust me."

It was once-just once-that Andi had seen Toriel get addressed to as mom. Before, they were all emotional wrecks, hating how they had to leave the Ruins to go on their journey, and leave her behind. Back then, she had thought it was just a spur of the moment, due to how close they had all gotten. Now though... even that word, mom, could be viewed under a new light.

Toriel's face melted at Frisk's words, and she looked to Asgore. The king appeared on the fence, but after a second, slowly nodded. _Toriel? _"... alright. I-I am still unsure of this," she began, looking past them to give an unsavory look at Flowey. "But if you two believe that this will work... we will help in any way we can."

"... I want to help too." Undyne looked at Alphys in surprise, not expecting the Royal Scientist to agree so quickly. "I-if... if it sets everyone free, I-I want to try it."

"Well, heh, guess I got to give it a go, too." _Undyne. _"What about you, dorks?"

"well... it's all up to you, pap. you think it's a good idea?" _So whatever Papyrus says, will affect what Sans will do. _"uh... papyrus?"

"I..." Papyrus's eyes darted to him for a moment, but continued to center on Flowey. The flower shifted a little, uncomfortable with the attention. _Come on, Papyrus. We need you for this. _Empty sockets shifted to Frisk, and the girl stuck her lip out in a pout. "... NYEH," Papyrus sighed, before giving her friend a confident smile. "I BELIEVE IN YOU, HUMANS."

"... you're all idiots," the plant grumbled, earning their attention again. "Idiots. All of you, especially Smiley Trashbag." Sans shrugged off the insult. "Fine. Let's get it over with."

"We'll... see you soon, I guess," Andi smiled nervously. a small hand landed on top of her own, giving a squeeze. **I would close your eyes, if I were you. **She kept smiling, taking in the sight of her friends for one more second, and did as Chara advised. A growing, shrill sound came from behind her, and from in front of her eyelids, rainbow colors blended to white, and enveloped her, Frisk, and their friends. The noise continued in volume until her head was ringing. Just like before, just like when they took down Flowey; white, then dropping into darkness, and then, from out of the pitch black...

"... Chara... wh-where... are you...?"

* * *

**Hope this was an interesting fight. We're approaching the end now. Maybe three or four more chapters left.**

**Until next time!**

**Angel**


	22. Twice Upon a Buttercup

**Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale, and the font gets a one-chapter change.**

"Speaking"

_Thinking_

**Chara speaking**

_**Soul speaking**_

* * *

It was a cavern, that the two girls awoke in, already standing upright. A fact that, at this point, didn't startle Andi. No entrances, and no exits, after a quick scan of the area. It was just a small cave, exactly like the one they had fallen into almost a week ago. A large patch of buttercups sat in the middle under a blanket of fresh green grass and in the middle, kneeling on the foliage and stroking one of the flowers... "Asriel?"

"Hmm?" His ears perked at Andi's soft voice, and he turned in their direction. He was... definitely Toriel and Asgore's son, alright. No horns had grown yet, only tufts of white fur sticking up at odd directions. A large bright green and yellow striped sweater, and brown pants with grass stains on his knees. Faint tear tracks were noticeable, as though he had been crying before they had arrived. "Frisk? You're back? B-but I thought-?"

"Found a loophole." Frisk walked over to him without hesitation, and joined him in the flower patch. She smiled, a relieved expression, and sighed. _Loophole, huh? So... how does she normally end up meeting him? _"I missed you."

"Hehe. I missed you too... Frisk?" The young monster finally noticed her, still standing in the shadows of the room. Andi hadn't budged, not wanting to interrupt the reunion. She didn't know Asriel, and as such, wanted to take things nice and slow. _He doesn't recall everything, so what are the chances he already knows me?_

"Hi, Asriel." She crept towards the children, her boots stopping at the edge of the grass. "I'm Andi. I'm... a friend of Frisk's." Friend, guardian, sort-of-sister. She was a lot of things to the young child.

"You brought another human down here?" Frisk nodded, seeing the boy's awed face. Awe. Pure awe. _He's so precious. _And... fluffy. "Frisk, why did... oh, Frisk." His wonder melted away, and he frowned. "Frisk, I already told you. I can't go back."

"N-no, Asriel." Frisk grabbed one of his hands, holding it in her own as though the young prince would disappear if she let go. "No, I... I know how to get you out of here. I know how to bring you back. J-just wait a second, okay?"

**Frisk... **Andi felt the chill sweep over her left side, and glanced at Chara. The girl had floated close to the ground, letting her feet come into contact with the plants. _What? What's wrong? _Chara stared at the two children, watching Frisk let go of Asriel's hand and readjust her seating. _Chara?_

"Andi, could... could you come over here?" Frisk gestured to the flowers next to her, and with a cautious pause, wandered over to them. Chara hovered along right behind her, gazing with a mix of emotions at the children. _At... Asriel. _

"Frisk, we-we're almost at the end, right? Of getting out of there, right? All that's left is the barrier and... well, you." She gestured to Asriel. "So why don't we get to it?"

"I-yeah, that's all that's left... that's... it." Okay, something was wrong there. Frisk was tired, that was without a doubt. But now... she was hiding something. Before they fought Asgore, her motivation for bringing her to the Underground to 'save' her... what was going on? "A-Andi...?"

"Frisk, answer me... how exactly did you plan to bring Asriel back?" She didn't sit down. She just stood there, face blank. "You said the human souls and our friends would break the barrier, but you never said your plan to bring him back with us." Because if she remained silent, then just like everything else the woman had learned, it was an answer that was worrisome. An answer that, just like Sans, remained above her. Something that... had haunted the child the moment she had reset to the point she had visited the Jennings with her groceries. "Frisk... were you..." Andi's face scrunched, and she felt her throat start to seal up. "D-did... were you going..." say it. She had to say it. "G... give your s-soul to... Asriel?"

There. She said it; as she predicted, Frisk's face went pale. Pale, her own face scrunched up as she held back her own tears, and ever so slowly... nodded. _So it's the truth. _"You... were going to-Frisk, what were you thinking?" There were tears, that had begun to spring up in her own eyes, and she pulled Frisk closer to her in a one-armed hug. The girl struggled, trying to pull away, but Andi forced her down, keeping her in place. "Frisk. Frisk." _You are __**not **__backing out of this. _"Frisk, explain why you were going to do that, now."

"A-Andi," she stuttered. "I c-can-!"

"Frisk?" Frisk's mouth snapped shut, and she looked at Asriel. Had she forgotten him, the fear and truth clouding her mind of who else was there with her? Asriel frowned, hands clasped together over his chest. "Please, can't you tell us?"

"A-Asriel, I... I-I..." she didn't remove her arm, not until she knew that the kid was going to explain. "I c..." her eyes flickered to her, to her grip on her limb. "... oh..." Frisk sighed, head slumping forward, and Andi let the kid free. "... what... else was I to do?" She turned around, letting her back face them, and stared up at the light. The bright glow struck her dirt smeared skin, but she didn't blink as it met her eyes. "... I've tried... a lot, to... get Asriel back. I-I've thought of everything. And i-it the only thing I could of that I..."

"You were out of ideas," Andi whispered, more to herself. She never did say, in all their talks, how many times she had been through the Underground. If Frisk said she had thought of everything, then she probably had. _Oh, Frisk. _Why couldn't she have said something sooner? Surely, Sans could have helped her. _Or is it the same case as me, where she deemed it unimportant for him to be in the loop?_

Chara drifted down next to them, and sat cross-legged between Frisk and Asriel. She stared at her brother, a half pity-filled look, and turned her attention back to the elder human. **You appear surprised. **She rested a hand on Frisk's, and the girl intertwined her fingers with hers. The transparent form solidified a little, like a wave washing over her, and Asriel held back the amazed gasp as she smirked at him. **Hello, Asriel. **

"H-howdy, Chara. I-how long has it been...?" She shrugged, and twisted herself around to put her own back to them, still keeping a firm grip on Frisk to keep her presence in their reality. **Too long. I've lost track of how many timelines it's been... ****guess we're getting comfy then, ****since no one is acting anytime soon.**

"Apparently..." Andi shuffled around, same as the others, and felt the smaller bodies rest against her taller torso. _Heh. _Had anyone else entered the cavern, should they find an entrance, the sight would have been quite spectacular. Three humans, one of which was only visible due to holding the hand of the youngest girl, and a goat monster. Sitting in a circle, backs to each other, and staring up at the light shining down on them, its source unknown to them all. "... hey, Chara?"

**Yes? **They... no one was doing anything at any point. Frisk was not giving up her soul, leaving them all in a state of limbo until they came to a new decision. It didn't hurt to-to ask, with all of them there together. "How... what happened?" She asked, still staring off at the wall, only catching glimpses of the children from the corners of her eyes. "You know, when you and... and Asriel?"

**... should we tell her, Azzy? **Asriel smiled a little at the nickname, though it was a far cry from the happy look she briefly saw a glimpse of earlier, and twisted himself around to face the ghost.

"Frisk knows, and she trusts Andi... I think it's fine." **Of course, you do. **Chara shook her head, giving a small chuckle. Their interaction... sort of reminded the elder of herself and Frisk. The one who acted goofy, and the one who had to pull in the reigns when things got too crazy. **Oh, boy... **Chara sighed, brushing her bangs aside with her free hand. **I... you know, I haven't actually told Frisk the entire story. I only told her what was deemed important. But if we're... going to be sitting around for a while... I guess it's only fair.**

* * *

The first thing Chara was aware of, was that her head hurt.

Her head hurt, like a thousand hammers were going to work inside her skull, with both ends of the tool. _Ow, ow, ow. _"Mmmm!" She raised a hand to her auburn hair, feeling the sticky liquid coating the strands on her fingers. Blood. _I... thought that fall would've worked._

Chara frowned into the ground she laid on, giving a loud and very annoyed groan into the dirt. "It sounds like it came from over here... oh!" Shuffling. A voice. Someone... else was down there with her? _I'm not the only one? _"You've fallen down, haven't you...?"

"N... no. Just decided to... take a nice nap on the ground." The sound of footsteps stopped, and to her surprise, the stranger laughed. She... that wasn't meant to be funny.

"S-sorry, that was... a little uncalled for. Here, l-let me help you." The footsteps stopped, and she felt a pair of hands wrap around her shoulders, slowly lifting her up enough for her to get to her legs on the ground again. Her long bangs still hung in front of her eyes, a curtain accompanying her sealed eyes. She'd open them when she felt like it. When she didn't feel as though she'd vomit from the pain. "So... what's your name?"

"... isn't it sort of rude to ask that without introducing yourself first?" _And ask when I could possibly have a concussion? _The person fell into silence, either taken aback by her question, or lost on how to respond. Great. Now she felt bad. "... it's... Chara," she answered, a frown directed at herself rather than the mysterious voice. "Since you wanted to know."

"Chara, huh? That's a nice name." The banging in her head subsided, and Chara finally opened her eyes. Through her bangs, the girl had to blink several times to guarantee she was not seeing things. Perhaps she hit her head harder than she thought. Maybe she was hallucinating. But it was rather hard to not freak out at the sight of some furry goat monster smiling back at her, ears falling forward past his shoulders with a friendly tilt of his head. "My name is Asriel."

"... uh, that's a... nice name too." _Holy cow monsters are real why are monsters real was that legend-myth-thing real or-!? _"S-so... where are we?" _Are they going to eat me or use me in some weird spell and-?_

"Oh, we're in Home." Did... Home? That was a capital, right? A capital H? What sort of name was that? _Am I dead? Is this... some sort of strange in-between? _"Come on! My mom can heal you." _Heal? _He meant bandages and pain medication, right? _But if it's healing, then that means I'm not dead. _"Do you like pie?"

"P-uh, yeah, I like... pie." She preferred cake, but she wouldn't turn pie down if it was offered to her. Asriel laughed, and sped up their walk, oblivious to her struggle to make sense of what on earth was happening.

"Mom should have some that you can enjoy while you rest," he continued, before throwing a worried look at her. "I-I'm not going to fast for you, am I?"

What... was with this kid? "No, you're not going to fast... does this mean there's other monsters down here too?" Chara asked slowly.

"Yeah! Dad says it's less than when the war happened, but the Underground is full of monsters." His pace quickened, to the point she was almost being dragged along beside him. "Ha ha! Come on, Chara!" _If that fall didn't end me, his enthusiasm might. _Though-and she had to give a surprised smile at the thought-she had to admit, this monster Asriel... it had been a long time since she met someone who greeted her so openly. _Let's just see how this goes. _Her hand drifted to his paw, still holding her up on weak legs, and placed her palm over his. _Who knows? Maybe I fit in better with actual monsters._

* * *

"Hey, Chara! What are you doing up there?"

"Watching the sun, dummy, duh." She stared down at him from her spot on the rock, several feet off the ground. The warmth of the setting sun fell through the hole high above her head, and she watched the light begin to shift up the walls. "What do you have there?"

"Oh! I got mom's old camera from the closet." He held up the old device with an eager smile. Several cracks lined the metal and plastic, but Chara noted that it didn't appear to be broken to the point of not functioning. "Do you want to try it out?"

"Hmm... how about you try it out, and you film me?" Paying little attention to her brother, she reached down and plucked a leaf growing from a vine entangling around one of the pillars. Rolling it around in her pale fingers, she winked down at him. "Well? I'm waiting."

"O-oh! Sure, just... just give me a second." Watching the red light slowly come on as Asriel held the power button for a couple seconds, Chara busied herself with the leaf. Bringing it to her mouth, she blew against it, and frowned behind the green as an odd squeak came out of it. "Ha ha ha! Chara, what was that?"

"You've never seen a leaf whistle before?" She lowered her hands, letting the leaf drift away in the slight breeze that fell through the hole. Floating lazily in the cavern, disappearing amidst the golden flowers under her brother's feet. "Is it working?"

"Yeah, I think so... hehe. Hey, Chara? Do your creepy face!" _Creepy face? Is that what we're calling it? _It was a... trick, that the human girl could pull off. Thinning her mouth, widening her eyes to an unnatural size with the red almost overtaking the white. It was disturbing, and creepy, and watching Asriel's reaction whenever she did it was hilarious.

"Alright then. Be sure to get my good side." She winked, and closed the other eye. _Three. Two. One. _She gave him the face, just like he wanted, internally wincing at the pain behind her eyes as she pulled it off.

"Ahhh! Hee hee hee!" Asriel laughed, stumbling back from the human in alarm. "Sorry, I still can't used to that." _Neither can I. _Chara blinked rapidly, reaching up to rub at her eyes. _Stings. _"Oh! Wait! I had the lens cap on..."

"That's a shame, because I'm not doing it again." Lowering her hands and wiping tears off on her shorts, Chara hopped down to his level. "I don't want to hurt my eyes any further."

"What!? You're not gonna do it again...?" _Hehe. _"Come on, Charaahhh!" Asriel jumped back in another scream, Chara bringing her face up to his own with a lessened version of the creepy face. _Ha! Got you! _"C-Chara, come on, quit tricking me! Ha ha!"

"That's what you get, screamer." Chara grinned, punching the monster in his shoulder. And he still got all of that on audio, so he could still count that as a win. "Come on. It's almost suppertime. I heard mom's making a quiche." Asriel hit the power button on the recorder, tucking it under his arm as they began to make their way to the cave's exit. "We can try again tomorrow."

* * *

"Howdy, Chara! Smile for the camera!" She did say try again tomorrow... _at least it's not the face again. _Shrugging, Chara offered the camera a small smile. _There. Happy? _Asriel held the device up, giggling on the other side. What was it this time? She didn't do anything funny. "Ha, this time I got YOU! I left the cap on... on purpose! Now you're smiling for nooo reason! Hee hee hee!"

"Wow, you really got me there, Azzy." Asriel lowered the camera, shaking his head at her sarcasm. "Hey, uh... Asriel? Do you remember when we tried to make that pie?"

"What? Oh, yeah, I remember..." Asriel lifted the camera upwards, and Chara took it from him, letting him climb up onto the rock next to him. "When we tried to make butterscotch pie for dad, right? The recipe asked for cups of butter... but we accidentally put in buttercups instead."

"Dad got really sick," Chara added, frowning at the memory. It was several weeks ago, when it had happened. They actually did it as a sort of joke-well, Chara did. When Asgore fell ill, bedridden for a few days as Toriel took care of him and the kingdom, she felt awful. She felt awful, and Asriel felt awful.

"I felt so bad. We made mom really upset. I should have laughed it off, like you..." he trailed off at the end, and gave his head a shake. "Uh, anyway, where are you going with this?"

Laughing it off... she felt guilty, but laughter was the first response that had came to her. _Wish I acted like you had, Asriel. _"... Asriel, turn off the camera."

"Huh? Oh, uh, okay." The red glow faded out as he held the button, and he sat the machine down on a rock nearby. "What is it? Is... something wrong?"

* * *

"I... I don't like this idea, Chara." Asriel held the door open for her, letting her slide in. No one was around, their parents busy out in the city. Still, she couldn't but be cautious. She didn't need anyone trying to stop her.

"You're just scared, Asriel..." she replied, before turning around. "And you're crying."

"Wh... what? N-no, I'm not... big kids don't cry." He sniffed, wiping at his eyes to clear what tiny drops had begun to form. "See? I'm not crying." _Liar. _He wasn't-was... was Asriel questioning the plan? Was he questioning her?

"Azzy, are... are you doubting me?" A spike of anger was in her words, swirled with hurt and disappointment. "I thought you wanted to break the barrier."

He leaned back, the words taking him aback. "No! I'd never doubt you, Chara... never!" Asriel argued back, horrified she was even thinking that. "Y... yeah! We'll be strong! We'll free everyone. I-I'll go get the flowers. Be right back."

Asriel threw her one final look before closing the door softly, and dipped out into the hallway. She held her breath, and sighed once she was certain he wasn't coming back. "I'm sorry, Asriel." Moving towards her bed, Chara got down on the floor, and pulled a small shoe box out from underneath. She... she had to act now. If he came back, the fallen child might not have had the courage to pull through. Determined? Oh, yes. But she loved her brother. She loved Asriel, and having him watch her poison herself... she couldn't do it.

"This... this will work. We'll get them out of here. All of them." She lifted the fist full of golden petals up to her face, the yellow color casting a glow around her skin. "We'll take back the Surface." _See you soon, Azzy._

Her final thought given, Chara exhaled deeply, paused... and shoved the flowers into her mouth.

* * *

"I got them, Chara!" Asriel jogged up to the door, freshly pulled flowers in his hands. It was a struggle, making sure he didn't grab the stems and roots, but he was satisfied with the work. Juggling the flowers in one arm, he opened the door, letting it swing open freely and bring in the hallway light. "I got the-!"

His sister laid on the floor, unconscious. Blistering red patches lined her mouth, and a stream of blood crept down the side over her cheek, staining the carpet underneath. Shreds of yellow petals stuck to the crimson liquid, and clung to the collar of her sweater. "... Chara?"

* * *

She hurt. Chara hurt a lot. Her stomach felt horrible, and her throat burned. She wanted to cry, to scream; she just wanted it all to end.

Then... it stopped. The pain... stopped. Disappeared altogether. _What... what happened?_

"Chara? Chara, is that you?"

Her eyes opened, and she stared ahead slack-jawed. She... she was on the Surface. At the face of a cliff, overlooking the town far below. "Chara! I-I'm so sorry, I-I did what you s-said, but when I got back you-!"

_Hey, hey! Slow down, Asriel. It-it's not your fault, okay? I just... I didn't want to freak you out when it happened. _No way could she admit the actual truth. _Hey, Asriel? Where...? _She was... speaking, right? Then why couldn't she feel her mouth move? And... how did she get on the Surface, outside... of the... _we did it?_

"Yep! Your plan worked, Chara!" Her plan to get the souls, and to escape the barrier to get them... it worked. I-it worked! _Does that mean that-? _"I absorbed your soul, just like you said. But, um..." His-their?-head bowed, and Chara stared at... herself.

Her skin was pale, far paler than it normally was. The skin around her mouth was still red, but the blistering had gone down significantly. Her short hair was still smooth and neatly brushed, and to her bemusement, a golden flower had been placed in it, right above her left ear. _Asriel, did... my body's gone, right? So why am I still wearing boots?_

"It... it seemed weird for you not to have them, if we're going outside." His voice seemed... deeper. Older. _We actually seem taller, now that I think about it. _"So where should we go, Chara?" _Maybe physically, taking my soul made Asriel age...? _"Chara?"

_Oh. Sorry. _She looked around. _Asriel, we're sharing your body right now, correct? Can... can I take control for a bit? _"Oh, um... well, sure. You sort of did for a moment, when you 'woke up'." She had, hadn't she? She opened her eyes, and managed to take control for a split second to react to the landscape. _Okay. Just... I'm not sure how it will feel..._

Chara felt a slight tug, and grabbed hold of it and pulled. _Whoa! _"Ah!" Asriel stumbled forward, and scrambled to regain his hold on Chara's body. "O-okay, I got it... wow, my voice sounds weird." _Hey, that's my voice! _

Yes, it was, but the inner voice of Asriel was a child. This body was older, and now, Chara had taken the reigns. "Hehe. Let's go, Azzy." She turned on her heal, and started off down towards the overgrown trail. Amber eyes strayed over to the cavern's opening, and she frowned. She... she got out. They got out, left the Underground, with... with her body, and without anyone noticing. "... Asriel? Mom and dad, they... they're not gonna be happy with us."

_No, they won't... do you think they'll be happy once they see you're still here? And once we get the rest of the souls? _"Perhaps." The ground was soft under her paws, and she had to steady herself from sliding forward. "No one has come up here in a long time." Shocking. When she fell, back when Toriel, Asgore, and Asriel lived in Home, the trail leading to the hole had some evidence of use. In New Home, all that kept them apart from the outside world was the barrier. Such an open hole, leading to an area that the humans feared to tread, of course lead to the path not appearing as well-used. _Chara, you fell on the other side. Doesn't that mean we have to walk around the mountain?_

"Uh..." she had made some progress, going down the hill, but came to a stop at his question. "I do live on the other side, but both sides are sort of... sister towns? We're close due to the location, and not many other towns are around the base of Mount Ebott."

_Does that mean you'd be fine if we went down there instead? _Chara had to pause for a moment to think that over, doing her best not to let her thoughts be loud enough for Asriel to hear. As much as she hated her village, the people, her classmates, her... any place, where the golden flowers bloomed would be fine. "Around the edge of the town down there is a cemetery, and in the center is a huge tree surrounded by golden flowers. Asriel, I'd... I'd like you to lay my body there."

_Me? Chara, I thought you wanted to-_

"I'd feel better if it was you," she cut him off. "Asriel?" _... alright. Can you get us down the mountain? _She laughed, but snapped her mouth shut after a few chuckles slipped out. Yeah, the voice was still weird. "No problem."

Down the mountain, past mossy covered rocks that had their feet slip on them, and took a quick pause at Asriel's insistence to watch the deer and fawns race across the path. The mother stared at them, large brown eyes, and continued leaping into the bush. _Cool. _"Hehe." The ground started to flatten out, and once she was certain that their shared body wouldn't fall over and crush her body, Chara picked up her pace, reaching the bottom of the mountain far faster than when she had climbed it, and headed off towards the town through the woods lining the road.

"Where should we go to get the souls?" Birds flew overhead, a few robins and a blue jay, and she knew Asriel was taken with the sight. Heck, he was taken with everything. All of the nature, flora and fauna, was something her brother had never gotten the chance to see before. She could imagine his expression though, even though she couldn't see it. Wide eyes, mouth partially open in a mute gasp.

_Hmm... do you think there are human souls in the cemetery? _Possibly, if one believed in ghosts. Then again, there were ghosts in the Underground, so... "dunno. We'll just have to wait and see." Sunlight poured on their fur, and Chara picked up the pace, nearly running through the forest towards the slowly growing sight of a clearing. Popping out of the treeline, her grip on her body almost slipped at the sight of the field of buttercups around their feet like a carpet, brushing at their ankles and waving in the slight breeze that fell down over Mount Ebott.

The tree was huge, massive in its bushy foliage, and stretched out over the flowers and several headstones. Dipping into the shadows, feeling the cool of the shade drift over her like a sheet, she approached the trunk and the gnarled roots rising and falling from the ground. The wind brushed the purple robe around, and she gripped her body a little before finally coming to a stop. _Chara?_

Chara didn't respond. Slowly, she lowered them to the ground, taking a knee as she placed her body between two large roots. Her head fell sideways, hair spreading over the grass, and she had to reposition her arms. True, she was... dead, but she did want to make herself look comfortable. "... well?" _You... look like you're asleep. _That was what she was hoping for. _What's next? _

"Next, we go get those souls." She stood back up, and took a few small steps back. _Do we dig graves? I don't know how comfortable I'd be with that. _A twig, from the sound of it, a rather small one, snapped. A noise, that came from behind them. _Chara? _"Shh..."

Inching, she spun their body around, robe nearly dragging on the buttercups as she turned to face the entrance of the cemetery. Between the cast-iron fence gates, holding a bouquet of tulips of assorted colors, an elderly woman stared at them with wide, fearful eyes. "Ah... A-aah...!"

No, no, no. No screaming. She-she didn't need this. They just wanted to get the souls, and get back to the Underground. "Please, ma-"

"AAAHHHH!" The flowers fell to the ground at the woman's shrill shriek, and with speed surprising for one her age, took off past the gates towards the direction of the town. Chara and Asriel blanked for a second, until Chara knelt down and grabbed her abandoned body, not caring how messy she did it. _Chara, what are-?_

"We need to go. Now." Making sure her cold corpse wouldn't fall, Chara quickly made her way back towards the treeline, and started her hurried ascent to the cavern. Someone saw her, and if the woman saw her former body, then the faster they moved, the better. "She thinks I killed m-a kid. She thinks a monster killed a child."

_But Chara, you didn't kill anyone. _She killed herself. She poisoned herself. That was enough. _What do we do now? _"We move, before they catch up to-AH!" Chara shouted, a sound almost like a growl with her new vocal cords, as a burst of heat ripped through her shoulder. Her cold body almost fell from her grip, and she felt Asriel rush forwards to catch it as her mind took a dive. _Chara! _

Shouts echoed behind her, and she turned to see a crowd of people farther down the trail. At the forefront, a man with a shotgun, cocking it as they made eye contact. They... they shot at her. They shot at them. "... grrr..." the same noise from before filled her throat, a low angry noise, and she trembled as the humans continued up the hill, shouting at them with such fury. Another shot rang out, and she spun around as the bullet flew past their head. _Chara, run! We can't fight them!_

Can't fight them? He wanted them to not fight? Had he lost his mind? _**Asriel, they are shooting at us! We have to attack! **_Fight. They could-they'd be able to get the souls. There'd be enough to break the barrier, and enough attacks would be enough to scare the rest away. _**We only need six souls, Azzy. Attack them, and get them back to the barrier.**_

_But that wasn't the plan! Chara, I didn't agree to kill anyone! _They still hadn't budged, their internal argument stalling them as the mob got closer. A click, an echo, and she cried out as a hole was torn in her leg. _**You are doubting me, Asriel! Stop being a wuss and help me!**_

Their body trembled, and she felt... something, deep within her. Was this the sort of power she had seen within her friends and family? Magic? _**Fine. I'll do it mys-! **_Her body seized up, and before she could act on the feeling-the sensation of power and warmth lurking within her center, she was thrown back into the darkness. _Asriel! _He... took over.

_It's not going to make mom and dad feel better if we murdered people. I'm... sorry, Chara. _A burst of heat, and even with the fact she was no longer in control, she could **feel **it. Chara could feel the fire pierce her chest, a cloud of white dust and fur flying out as it ripped through the other side. A choking sound left their mouth, and had Asriel been made of flesh as she was, no doubt blood would be spewing from their mouth. _**Asriel! **_

"We're... we'll go now. We'll leave... heh." There were no more shootings, no more mob rushing up to meet them. Perhaps that final attack was clear to them that they took down the monster. Whatever it was, they let them leave. Limping the same path they took, with a trail of dust at their feet as Asriel lead the way. An ever-growing limp, due to the hole slowly increasing with every few steps. He had to bite his lip from crying out as the same happened to his shoulder, not wanting her body to fall and roll back down the mountain. "... C... C-Chara...?"

_**Asriel... **_her response was quiet, and as much as she was angry-furious... she was worried. S... scared. "A-are we g-going to... to die?" **_... yes, Asriel. We're... we're going to die. _**There was no way around it. They weren't going to live. "M-mom, and dad..." tears stained their cheeks, and with a shaky inhale, Asriel pushed himself up to the edge of the trail, where it finally leveled out. The massive cavern's entrance was just ahead to his left, and he held back a whimper. "They're-I-I'm... wh-why didn't I stand up for myself?"

_**... it's my fault for pressuring you. **_She wanted to hug him. She wanted him to see her smile, almost always confident and reassuring. **_It's... it's both our faults. _**They started down the cavern, and took note of how the barrier didn't affect them going in. Their limping was worse now, and Asriel was practically dragging himself along as he reached the door to the castle at the end. Their breathing was soft, and their vision started to dip in and out. _**Come on, Asriel. You... you can make it. **_The grey hallway, and then they'd reach the throne room. Their eyes started to fall, and he barely made it around the corner into the golden room of buttercups before they fell forward. Chara's long-gone body slid from his grip, and he managed to push her out of the way before he landed. Landed, among the flowers that poisoned her, and body vanishing into the garden in a cloud of dust.

Two souls, one upside-down and white, the other dark red, floated together. The white shook violently, fractures crossing over it, and Chara could only watch in silent horror as Asriel shattered, disappearing into the rest of his dust.

Sh-she couldn't. Sh-this was her fault, b-but she... she couldn't die. N-not yet. Not yet. Not when she still had to get the souls. Not when she still had to break the barrier, and give the monsters the world above back to them. _**I don't want to die yet. **_Her soul, her entire being, shivered, and she could hear voices outside of the throne room. **_I don't want to die! _**Mom. Dad. Her brother. S-she wanted them back. She wanted them all back! _**I DON'T WANT TO D-!**_

* * *

Six.

Six souls, six humans, fell after Chara. Six, who came to the mountain. Some due to curiosity, some who never saw the hole and fell in by accident, and some who fell for the same reason as herself.

The light blue patience, who succumbed shortly after leaving the Ruins from the bitter cold. The youngest human's ribbon and toy knife were lost in her explorations whilst staying with Toriel.

The orange and dark blue souls. Best friends, who had different methods of driving through their journey. Orange lasted longer than his friend, who had raced towards Waterfall in a mad rush to escape the oncoming Royal Guard. He had fought everyone head-on, never backing down from a fight, trying to provide a distraction so she could hide. For the orange soul, it was a light blue attack, that ultimately struck him down. A sword, tearing through his stomach.

As for the blue soul... she never stood a chance, with ballet slippers and the strong currents and slippery rocks.

Purple came next. Perseverance; someone only a small step backwards from her own red heart. Their death was cruel, and like the blue soul, was not the responsibility of the monsters. It was in a cave, where an unfortunate encounter with a startled Woshua led them to losing their glasses in the dark room, only with the large crystals to offer dim light. Their matching purple glasses, too big for their face, were lost in the void, and without sight... starvation was not a way they had wanted to go.

Justice fell next, as did the kind green soul, only a few weeks before him. Their travels nearly overlapped, with the yellow soul managing to reach the Core before being struck down by members of the Royal Guard inside the massive machine. He was thrown backwards, and a light blue laser passed through him. The remains... were not a sight that the two guards liked to remember.

The kind child. The last one to perish, roasted alive by a Pyrope while evading the Guard as well. Six souls, six children had fallen down, until a silence befell the Underground for years. A deathly calm, tense, wait.

A wait... for the seventh human to fall.

A wait... for the last soul to fall.

A wait...

... for Chara's dying wish to become a reality.

* * *

**And... that's that. **Chara didn't fall back, unlike Asriel and Frisk. Attempting to try would have had the girl phase through all three of them. **That's what... got us to this point.**

"... so we... just wait here, for something to happen?" Andi asked. "For Frisk to come up with another option?"

"... or I give him mine." Frisk's reply was met with grim looks, and Asriel brushed the grass around him with a sigh. "We can't stay here forever."

"She's actually tried," Asriel added, getting a brow raised from Frisk's guardian. "Nothing happened." Great. In that case, they only had two options on what they could do next.

"Hmm... hey, Asriel?" He hummed questioningly, floppy ears twitching at his name. "Where's the six human souls?" The monster turned around to face them, as did the others, and he put a hand to his chest. _They're inside him, still? _The green fabric twisted under his palm, and he closed his eyes.

"... they're there, but I... huh?" He lowered his hand, and frowned. "It feels like they're... hiding."

**Hiding? **He looked at his sister, mirroring his expression. **Asriel, what ****are you...? **She fell silent, looking past Asriel; through him. The others followed her gaze, and the quartet stared at a sight that-judging from Frisk's expression-was not normal.

The souls, all lined up along the edge of the grass, observing them. "What are they doing?" Andi whispered to Frisk. The young human didn't answer, instead watching the hearts drift forward, some more hesitant than others. Were they listening to them? Did they hear Chara's story? Frisk's? "Guys?" The yellow soul drifted to the front, taking the lead in front of all of them. The wisps of soul drifted around rising and falling, until they began to reform. Branching outwards, forming outlines.

"... justice." It was. The cowboy hat, and pistol hanging on its hip. Their eyes were glowing yellow, no determinable sign of pupils or irises. Just... gold. A cowboy costume vest over a long sleeved shirt and torn jeans and worn sneakers. Frisk looked around to the others, seeing them turn to each other, mimicking a glance, before copying their leader's actions.

An orange soul, with a bandanna tied around its head and a single glove over its left hand, wearing a tank top and the bottoms of a martial arts uniform. The free hand was wrapped around the dark blue's, wearing a worn but still clean ballet uniform; their hair was back in a loose bun atop their head. Behind the yellow soul, but still close to them, the green soul gave a shy wave. Their hand held a frying pan, its ghostly mimicry displaying stains from its use, as did the apron under its button-up shirt and pants.

Off to their side, the same as the dark blue and orange, the purple and light blue souls stood together. The purple held their arms over their chest, hugging the notebook as though their life depended on it, purple eyes peeking out behind large rectangular glasses. To their side, Andi's attention was drawn, seeing a color all too familiar. _Patience. _The soul was small, smaller than the others. The ribbon she wore, same as the one in her hair right, hung on the side of their bushy hair. And in the front, held in their right hand, was the cursed plastic knife that Flowey kept forcing her to take.

They stood up, the eighth and first fallen humans still holding hands to keep her stable on the ground, staring at their audience. "What do you think they want?" She glanced from the souls to Frisk, who only stared in confusion. Justice crossed its arms, glancing around at its fellow fallen, before pointing a sole finger at Asriel. The goat blinked, and copied the gesture. _What __are they__ doing? _The sole's arm fell, and opened its mouth.

_**You want him back? **_She held back a startled shout at the voice. It was echoing, bouncing around the cavern, but distinctly male. _**You really want him back, after what he and... her, have done to us? **_He... wasn't wrong. If it wasn't for Asriel and Chara, none of them would have died after falling down. They might have lived happily with the monsters, just as Chara had done prior to death-by-buttercup. **_What makes me certain that you won't 'reset', as you put it?_**

Yellow soul. Justice... the same trait she had seen in Sans, along with her own patience. **Because she won't. **Andi looked to Chara, seeing her give the fellow ghost a neutral look. **No one is going back, ever again. **Frisk nodded alongside her, and the boy's eyes slid to the lone adult with them.

_**And what about you? Do you think they deserve a second chance? **_Did... did she? For Frisk, she wanted to. Oh, how she wanted to. Asriel definitely showed regret, but there was still his actions as Flowey after he fell down. It didn't appear as though he was responsible for the humans' deaths, but he still manipulated them, long after their bodies decomposed. Torturing them, enjoying the power he felt and playing with her friends like puppets on strings. _Sans has some idea of what he's done, though he never told me._

Then... there was Chara. Without her, none of this would have happened. Without her, Frisk and her would still be on the Surface. Living how they were before... now, after all of what she had been through, Andi realized just how boring that would be. Enjoyable, yes, but she had had more fun the past few days than most of her twenty-some years of life. But back onto the topic at hand... did Chara deserve a second chance?

_... she's bonded with Frisk. So through all of the timelines, all of the different resets, she went through them. _Perhaps Chara was not there at the very beginning, but Frisk must have had some effect on her. She... she wanted to attack them, and though she had not outright said it, appeared to hold a grudge against humanity. _She... didn't climb for a good reason. _Chara, and Asriel, and Frisk... all three of them had done a lot to the residents of the Underground. "I..." she felt all eyes on her, alive and dead, and she stared up at the light pouring down on them. Where was that coming from? It appeared as though they were almost in some form of limbo, with no ways in or out. "I... yes. They... they do." All of them. They all deserved a second chance.

_**... hmm. **_Justice still frowned, but the scowl lessened. The other souls mumbled among themselves, and Andi noticed the aqua soul staring at her. _Hi? _She smiled, looking past the yellow ghost, and the small child gave a little wave by their spot next to the purple soul. _**Then take it down. **_He held out a hand, watching Asriel expectantly.

The young prince nodded, and reached out to take it. Maybe it was the fact that Asriel's form wasn't entirely solid, or perhaps he held a shred of determination within himself just like Andi and Frisk, but he managed to grab hold. It was not the same as Chara's form, her appearance was more solid than theirs, but the matter was more-or-less the same. The yellow soul looked to his friends, and held out his other hand, a silent message for them to take hold. "It's going to get bright," Frisk whispered, watching the green human take hold. "Very bright."

Purple grabbed on next, putting their book away to free their hands. The ballerina followed, while the fighter took hold without the hesitation as their friend. A hum, similar to the sound at the barrier, echoed around the cavern, and a stream of light flowed from one link to the next. The youngest soul was all that was left, and she took a moment to slide the plastic knife into her pocket, careful to not let it get caught on her clothing. **Here we go. **

The instant the aqua soul took the braver one's, a ripple of light shot out through the chain of seven. Frisk and Chara gripped each other, the energy nearly knocking them over, and Andi felt her own boots slide under her, nearly tearing up the grass beneath them. The buttercups were swept up in the release of magic, petals swirling around them before the rest of the light shot upwards. Up, towards the opening high above their heads.

The sound was deafening, almost as bad as when Frisk and the souls set Flowey on fire. A boom, nearly sending all of them to the earth as it made contact with whatever was above. The light went out as shards fell above, fading to dust before it got too close, and the cavern went dark. Pitch black, with their only light being the six colorful ghosts. _**Did we do it?**_

The aqua's voice was high, soft, and hopeful. She looked up at the perseverance soul, and they nodded. _**Yes. **_It wasn't a huge, joyous answer, but it was all that was needed. The job was done, the deed complete. After such a long, and traumatizing journey... she had done it. She had survived the Underground.

"... what now?" The humans' attention turned to Asriel. "Frisk, you know that-without the souls, I'll... turn back into a flower." _Does that mean Sans and Toriel and everyone else returned to normal? _Asriel let go of Justice's soul, though the rest of the kids still held on. "Frisk, I-I don't want you to give me your soul."

_**She won't. **_His head turned to the green soul, who smiled at him. _**... we will. **_Asriel didn't get a chance to open his mouth, nor did the others get a shot at asking what the ghost meant. The ghosts closed their eyes, all in different displays of emotion, and in something akin to a vacuum seal, retracted back into their heart forms. Faint strands of soul essence still drifted from them, linking them together.

"Are...?" Are they, what? What did Frisk think they were trying to accomplish? _Are they suppose to... vanish, after breaking the barrier? Is that when Asriel goes back to a flower? _Chara took a step forward, arm falling behind her as Frisk kept hold. The hearts bobbed, and the ghost stared at them mutely. What was it, that was happening? An unsaid message? Some... telepathy, paranormal thing? "Chara?"

Chara lowered her head, giving a soft chuckle. It wasn't humorous. **You said so yourself, Frisk. I still have some determination left. **She raised a hand to her chest, and to their shock, a red heart drifted into view, joining the rainbow of hues already around them. A darker red, than Andi's and Frisk's, where the soul only showed its color around the edges. _It's... hollow. _The red didn't reach the center, only leaving something similar to a cookie cutter behind. **Take... take my soul, Frisk. **She forced herself to get the words out, having them catch in her throat.** With what determination I have, I can act as a... husk, to hold the others. **

Husk. Hold the others. She-she wasn't. W-was Chara honestly suggesting using herself as a vessel for the other children to-? "C-Chara, you... you can't...!" Chara laughed bitterly, looking from her hollow heart to Asriel. Tears stained the fur under his eyes, and he sniffed. "I-I just got you back, and you're leaving again?"

**Still a crybaby... **she reached forward, and brushed her thumb against his cheek. The digit fazed through the strands and water, but the young monster still smiled at the gesture; a watery, forced smile. **Besides, who ever said I'm leaving? It just means I'll be haunting you instead of Frisky here.**

Frisky. Had it not be such an emotional moment, she would have laughed at the nickname. "But, Chara..." they looked to Frisk, almost forgotten in the siblings' conversation. "That's... not enough. We need more." More. The colors would fill Chara's empty soul, but the amount of determination was still small, shy of what they needed. _Then, wouldn't that mean that Frisk would... no._

No.

She would not let that happen. Sh-Frisk went through hell to bring her alive. She had suffered so, **so **much over the timelines, wearing herself and Sans down with each load. Each reset, bringing them back to beginning like a video game. And now, she wanted to give her own life for Asriel, to make sure the two factors for the perfect ending were fulfilled. Asriel would be brought back, reunited with his parents. Herself would continue her daily routine, and not... whatever she had brought upon herself on the Surface. Frisk had committed her entire nine years to the monsters, just wanting them-just wanting her... to be happy. But sacrificing herself...

She knew Chara was watching her. Perhaps she even knew what she was thinking, judging from her facial features. She... there was a reason, why her soul was like this. When she did that ridiculous battle in the secret room, with Sans giving her advice, that was her clue. Her reason. _My reason... _it was-who was she fooling, it was a crazy idea. A thought that, if she went through with it, would destroy all of Frisk's work. All of what she tried to do. However, if it did work...

The blue and red soul drifted to the forefront, and the children fell silent amidst their conversation that she had tuned out of. "Andi?" She lifted the heart up to her face, watching the faint lines of color trail onto the opposite side in a nearly straight line. _Focus to split. Feel the soul, and will it to split. _"Andi, what are you-?"

The warmth swept over her hands, and she bring both palms apart, watched the colors divide with ease. Both hands held upwards, each supporting the two halves, Andi took a knee in front of the trio. She was... terrified, scared. Her heartbeat though was... a mix. Of frantic, and of calmness. Perhaps because she was arguing mentally in the back of her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she looked at the souls, having moved closer to Chara upon taking out her own soul. _Act. _**Andi... **dismissing Chara's warning tone, she smiled at Frisk, taking in the child's confused look. _Thank you, Frisk. _

She smiled, an action that she hoped met her eyes, and shoved the red half of her soul directly into Chara's awaiting husk.

"Andi!" The reaction was instantaneous. A flare of pain raced through her chest, the missing half of her being noticed immediately. Screaming, the woman fell to the black floor, blue half falling with her arm outstretched. It was almost exactly like when Undyne had killed her. It went dark, and it went fuzzy, but this time, there was no blood. No metallic taste flooding her mouth and lungs. She couldn't breathe though. She wasn't even sure if her organs were functioning. All she could do was writhe in pain, eyes sealed shut as her entire world imploded. _It hurts it hurts it hurts IT HURTS!_

A cool swept through her chest, and she felt a shake on her right. Felt... tears, fall freely onto her burning skin. "Andi! Andi, wake up! P-please, you can't leave me here!" Another violent shake, and she forced herself to register Frisk's desperate cries one final time before shock took her into unconsciousness; a state she had no idea if she would come out of or not. "ANDI!"

* * *

"This is all just a bad dream... please, my children, wake up!"

* * *

**I hope you liked the portrayed of Chara here. A lot of chapters have focused around the main cast, and it was nice to get to explore Asriel and Chara and how things came to be. Though I... may have overdone it in terms of length. Whoops.**

**Until next time!**

**Angel**


	23. Reunited at Last

**Disclaimer: Compared to the final chapter, I haven't actually started this one very quickly and unfortunately, that pushed out the posting date. I hope the wait was okay.**

**I don't own Undertale.**

**TimeBlade: That's good. The other chapters never got that long, so I was wondering.**

"Speaking"

_Thinking_

**Chara speaking**

* * *

"come on, you two." Sans knelt between the two humans, keeping watch over their breathing. Frisk's was slow, but it was a far cry from what her guardian's was. Andi's was shallow, with each intake a soft wheeze. _what's goin' on in there? _

"... nothing?" He lifted his skull, seeing Toriel had settled along the other side of the older human. Taking her wrist, the woman checked Andi's pulse. The former queen shook her head, her concerned look only growing. "Sans, do you know what is going on?"

"no," he answered, responding to both questions. He had no idea. It was one of the things Frisk never explained to him what happened once Asriel took theirs and the humans' souls. What was taking so long, longer than it usually took? Where were they, and what was happening to Andi? "... what about the weed?"

"F-Flowey vanished before we all came to." Alphys, along with the others, stood a few steps away from Frisk, watching the situation with their own concerned expressions. The scientist pushed up her glasses, throwing a quick look down the hall, and the lone door at the very end. "Whatever they did, it worked. The b-barrier is broken."

"Yeah, well, that's great and all, but Frisk and Andi are still asleep!" Undyne tugged at her ponytail, throwing an exasperated hand in their direction. "We shouldn't have listened to that creep in the first place!"

He had to hold back a reply, not wanting to fall into the panic and high emotions any further, when a groan broke through the air. "U-urgh..." eyes flickered open, and Frisk stared up at the ceiling in a daze. "I-I'm back...?" It took not even a second until registration rushed through her face, and the girl shot upwards into a seated position, the speed earning a startled yelp from Alphys. "Andi!" Her head twisted around, honing onto her friend and nearly shoving him over as she moved to the elder's side. "Hey, wake up!"

"My child, are you alright?" Frisk didn't answer Toriel, perhaps not even hearing her question. Gripping the lighter blue sweater under her fingers, she shook her arm, tears rushing to the surface.

"Why? Why did you do it?" The words were wrecked with sobs, Frisk's face turning flushed. "I-I can't do this again. I c-can't."

"frisk, hey. hey." Sans put a hand on her shoulder, seeing how much the child was shaking. "what happened?" Frisk sniffled, but didn't bother to turn in his direction.

"I-" she stopped herself short, the sound of footsteps echoing outside of the room catching them by surprise. Frisk lifted her head a little, still hanging over Andi, and a ghost of a smile appeared. The footsteps came to a stop at the archway, their owner standing just on the other side, and bright amber eyes stared back at them. Eyes, that he had only ever seen on two other monsters.

"... howdy, mom, dad." Prince Asriel. The kid-the girls did it. They... brought him back. _well, what do you know? _"Heh..." Asriel shuffled his feet, and Sans glanced to Toriel on the other side of the unconscious girl. He'd seen a lot of emotions in the past couple of days, but what he saw on the old lady's face was-if he had to come up with a comparison, it might have been what he was feeling when he bid the kid and Andi good luck in the hall. The pent-up feelings of what had happened over all those timelines, behind a wall forged with age.

"Asriel...?" Toriel didn't stand up. Heck, he didn't think she could. She sat there, mouth slightly agape as he walked closer to them. It wasn't until he was a foot away from his mother, did she finally move. A trembling hand rose, and she cupped the side of his head, earning a small laugh. "You're... please, don't let this be another dream."

"I'm really here, mom." That did the trick. A shudder of a gasp, Toriel swept the child up in her arms, the boy giving a small shout at the action. Head just peaking over her shoulder, Asriel gave him and Frisk a sheepish smile. Though, it still wasn't enough to lighten his mood. He saw Andi's still body, and let his head fall against his mother's shoulder.

Asgore nearly plowed the others other, making his way around to sit near his ex wife. A hand rested on Asriel's head, and the old king gave a watery laugh, ruffling the kid's short fur. It was... a sight, Sans admitted, that he never thought he would see. If-whatever Frisk had done was tried earlier-he'd be smiling. Feeling that everything was at long last right. But... "what happened?"

The emotional reunion paused, and Asriel wiggled out of Toriel, dropping beside her as he took in the woman's pale appearance. "... she did what... what Frisk tried to do." _frisk. _His head turned to the younger human, seeing her still hanging over her friend. A shudder tore through her, the only sign she was actually hearing them. "... this."

If the room wasn't filled with confused emotions before, it certainly was now. A monster soul was supposed to be white and inverted, unlike that of a human's. What the young prince's soul was now, however, was far from what was considered normal. Determination lined an inverted heart, the crimson hue brightening further inward until it reached a rainbow of different colors. Multiple shades of blue, orange, yellow, green, and purple; not swirling together, but sliding around within the red outline. Pushing one another to the top, before sliding back down to the bottom like a lava lamp. Speckles of various sizes, all the same white as his own soul, drifted from color to color, not bothered by the constantly altering traits.

Red. Why... was the shade changing, when...? _oh, no. _He blocked Alphys' murmur, baffled at the state of the prince's new soul, and hurried to pull Andi's out into the open. He had to check. He had to know what he meant when said Frisk-what the hell was the kid planning to do? "ands, you..." one hand gripped his shorts, fingers digging into his bones underneath. "what were you thinkin'?"

It was... torn in half. The severed patience trait hovered just before his other hand, blue wisps drifting around, searching for its missing part. The rest of what made Andi... Andi. Sans closed his sockets, grimacing. Frisk... planned to give her soul to Asriel. That meant she never-she didn't plan on making it out of the Underground with them. _all she wanted was for them to join us, didn't she? _"Asriel, does that mean...?" _she really thought that was the best option. _

"It's all of them, mom." Asriel let his soul drift closer to the blue one, and they watched as the tufts of essence floated towards his, feeling. Searching. "They're all there." All of them. It wasn't just Andi then. _all of them. the others are behind this too? _"... Chara's here too."

"Chara?" Asriel didn't bat an eye at his father's inquiry at his sister's mention, only joining the skeleton in watching the two souls interact.

"That would explain the red." Everyone had gathered in, Alphys taking a seat on the other side of him, since Frisk wouldn't be moving anytime soon. "Hers and C-Chara's determination, together, they a-acted as a sort of-"

"Vessel." Attention turned to Frisk, and her weakened voice and still-bowed head. "They w-wanted to help. I-I was going to-b-but the others stopped me. We broke the barrier, b-but then the so-souls stood in a-"

"frisk." She was losing them, stuttering even worse than Alphys did. "kid, it's..." okay? Could he even say that? She admitted to planning on handing her soul over to the kid, without a second thought. She didn't even plan on saying goodbye to them.

"You believed in her." Asriel smiled at him, though it was hurting. "You believed in both of them." So that was it. Back then, Frisk was saying goodbye. In the hall, she planned to go into it with the idea he never forgave her. To sacrifice herself for Asriel believing that he hated her. What... would she have thought, if he never said anything? If he never got involved as much as had this timeline? "She..." Asriel searched for the words, looking from the souls to Andi herself. Her chest was moving up and down, albeit slowly. Faintly. "She wanted what Frisk wanted."

"... for everyone to have their happy ending." The kid sniffed next to him, an ugly sound, and he looked past Asriel to the silent queen. "can you heal her?" He had to ask. Papyrus knew healing magic, but his ability was far from what they needed. He wasn't even certain that they could fix a soul that far gone. But Toriel, a boss monster, was the only option they had left; if they wanted her to have a fighting chance. "tori?"

"I do not know if my ability will go that far, but I shall try." She moved closer to Andi, taking a moment to brush a strand of hair falling over her face. "... I cannot lose another one." Bringing her hands together, Toriel bowed her head in a silent prayer, before putting her hands over the woman's torso, palms down. A warm reddish glow wrapped around her hands, and what remained of Andi's soul lit up to match the color. The other soul, Asriel hurried to bring back to him, and watched with the rest as the elder human's chest continued its steady but slow movements.

Andi was a mystery. Always was, and-unless Chara or Frisk spoke up about why she was down there with them-always will be. From the sidelines, and from speaking to her, he saw she was curious. Amazed at how the Underground worked, from how souls operated to the weather. Magic too, was something she saw wonder in, given how she acted when she saw his brief display at their house. She was extremely patient, handling the secrets far better than he'd initially thought. How loads and resets functioned, what Frisk had done before bringing her down there. How... he had acted, before she joined them under the earth.

He managed to figure out her out bit by bit; what her history with Frisk was, and how she behaved throughout her journey. The one thing that still stuck out in his skull was that moment early in the morning, when she got hold of him in a scared state. It was a nightmare from Chara, he had to assume. If she did it to her to show the fight in the hall from the last timeline, then she must have done it at least one other time. There was more there, from how she grew up. How she met Frisk, and why she stuck around the following years. Andi... she was a mystery, and... she was a good person. A good person that did not deserve all of this. She did not deserve the horror that the Underground could bring.

"... SANS, COULD YOU MOVE A LITTLE?" Hearing his name, he looked over his shoulder at his brother, seeing him beginning to kneel and squeeze himself between him and Alphys. Without a word, he complied, brushing up against Frisk as the younger skeleton took his place. "HMM..." with a raised glove, Sans blinked in surprise as the same glow covered his hand. Hurrying to the damaged soul, sure enough, the glow's brightness increased, and the searching wisps faded into the hue. _good. it's mending. _

It fell silent for almost a minute, with the only sound being Frisk's occasional sniffles. "... s..." Frisk lifted her head, face red from crying. "S-Stop... i-it's enough."

"But, my child-?" She shook her head, stopping Toriel.

"I-I don't want d-drain you guys. J-just stop, p-please." Toriel's hand remained in place, but after studying her face, moved back. "Papy-yrus." Papyrus appeared to deflate, but copied Toriel's actions. The red glow sank into the light blue, and the soul returned to its singular color. "... what do I do now?" Was that directed at them, or was she speaking to herself?

"Sooner or later, humans are going to find out about the barrier," Undyne said quietly. "We can't just stay in here." She was still breathing. That was... good. "What do we do?"

"... I will bring her somewhere to lay," Asgore spoke, the first since Asriel entered the room. "From there, if everyone is ready, we will make our way to the Surface." If everyone was ready. No one; nobody was ready. But they didn't have a choice, did they?

"come on, kid." He stood, as did Papyrus and Alphys, and he put a hand on her shoulder. "let's go." She wiped at her face with her sleeve, and brought herself to her feet. She was slouching, and struggled to give him a smile. _aw, frisk. _

The limp body was lifted up, and he took note of how the prince seemed to pale behind his fur, seeing Andi's head slump against Asgore's armor. "I'm so sorry, Andrea." Frisk's whisper only added to the nail in the coffin, and she gripped at his sleeve with enough strength she could have torn it. Asgore bent his own head, and turned to make his way out of the grey hall, to retreat back through the throne room of golden flowe-

"... merm..." the king stopped immediately, and Frisk nearly broke out from under his hand at the nearly mute murmur.

"Andi/ands?"

* * *

She hurt. Her insides felt as though they were lit ablaze, only for them to be thrown into a pot of warm water immediately afterwards. Not a drastic change, but enough to damper the feeling. To let it linger, and slowly drain away. On the other side of her eyelids, there was light. Lots of it, threatening to break through the thin seal. _Voices. I hear voices... Frisk? _

She tried to open her eyes, but grimaced, giving a small groan instead. Her throat also hurt, perfect. _Come on, Andrea. Open your eyes. _"My child." _Toriel. _"If you can hear us, please, wake up!" They were-was everyone there? Were they on the Surface? She had to know. _Wake up! __Come on, you can do it! Wake up!_

"Yeah! You got this, punk! If you could beat me, you can beat this!"

"I-it might seem impossible, b-but somehow, I-I know you'll be fine!" Undyne. Alphys. What about the others? Were they there too?

"WE BELIEVE IN YOU, HUMAN!"

"You can't give up, Andi..." more warmth, not the same as what hugged her internally. Someone was holding her, and the voice sounded... close. Very close, just above her head. _Asgore? _Was he holding her? _But where's-?_

"hey, ands?" _Sans._ "you gotta wake up now, okay? kid's worried, and... i don't think we can handle one more human leavin' us." He didn't think... he could handle it. "i know you're hurtin'. that you still don't have all the answers you wanted, and..." his voice dipped out, and she tried to tilt towards its direction. _Sans? _"... take your time. when you're ready, we'll be right here waitin' for you."

Take her time? They were at the brink of getting everyone to the barrier. Forget being patient, she wanted out now. If she could break free of Chara's forced memory, she could get out of this. _Speak, Andi! __Speak! _"... Sss..." the name came out as a hiss between her teeth, and she felt her head make contact with something fuzzy and warm, possibly Asgore's hand. "... Sssaaa... Ffffrisss..." _open your eyes. Speak with actual words. _It stung, but she saw blurry shapes. Blotches of red, yellow, purple, green, and blue, shifting back and forth. "... Frisk?" The purple and blue blob rushed forward, and she had to blink to register the incoming sight.

"Frisk, careful now. I do not want to drop her." Yeah, she'd rather not get dropped after just returning to the land of the living. _Thank you, Asgore._

"Sorry for scaring you." It was... speaking was better, although her throat was still sore. Her brain was finally catching up to her surroundings. Frisk shook her head, and threw her arms around her neck, burying her face into the crook of her shoulder. A hard blink, holding her eyes closed for several seconds, and when she reopened, she took in the crystal clear image of a distraught child.

"You tore your-h-how are you not-?" Frisk silenced herself, not wanting to finish the question.

"Did... someone try and heal me?" She nodded, and the two looked back at the others. It was a worthwhile question. She knew that two of the six-seven, monsters had the ability to heal. It did not surprise her that they had attempted anything to improve her condition. "Th... thanks, guys."

"Please, my dear, never scare us like that again." Toriel stepped towards them, putting a still trembling hand on her forehead. "Warm, but you should feel better once you start moving around."

"Yeah..." she fell silent for a second, and bit her lip. "Does-Alphys, you know about souls more than the rest of us do. How does... this, affect my lifespan?" Alphys snapped to attention, not expecting to be drawn into the conversation.

"I-I'm not sure, Andi. We could never e-experiment with humans souls to the extent we could have, because they were still n-needed for the barrier." She sighed in defeat, and Undyne put a hand on her head, resting comfortably between her spikes. "The worst case is that, with half of your soul gone to Asriel, you might not live as long as you could have."

"... so I more-or-less cut my lifespan in half..." giving her own heavy sigh, she nodded in understanding. She expected something like that. She felt physically weaker, drained, upon waking up. If Toriel hadn't healed her, she might not have been speaking to them right now. Trapped in a coma, stuck within her own mind. _I... can't feel my determination anymore. _She was determined still, but that part of her soul-that bright red-was no longer there. When she split the heart apart, she could control each section. Inside her body, she could faintly make out the soul, but could feel something was... off. Missing. "Heh. Honestly, after the hell we went through to get this far, I think I can handle it... can I stand up now?"

"Are you able to stand?" She shrugged, and felt herself get lowered to the ground. Asgore's hands stayed on her shoulders, in case she fell should he let go. Legs shook, and she struggled to secure her footing.

"Just, um, sort of. I might need a hand." Two of them, on either side to avoid falling flat on her face.

"FRET NOT, ANDI. I SHALL ASSIST YOU." A red glove was held out, and she smiled up at Papyrus. Taking hold, she nearly collapsed into the taller skeleton. "OOPS."

"I'm okay!" A blur of blue appeared to her side, and she watched the two brothers steady her again.

"sure you are. paps, get her right." He did, and her arms were awkwardly thrown over their shoulders, one lower and one higher. Still, she was stable, albeit shaky. "good?"

"Somewhat." She exhaled, giving a slight wince. Her lungs ached, but she supposed all of that healing couldn't correct everything so quickly. "What's next?"

**If you leave here, your adventure will really be over. Your friends will follow you out of the Underground. So... are you two ready?**

She didn't see Chara, but she could hear her. And judging from their reactions, Frisk and Asriel did too, turning towards the awaiting exit. Leave the Underground, and finish their journey for good... better late than never. "After you, kids. Lead the way."

Frisk nodded, took Asriel's hand, and guided him along to the end of the hall. Double-checking her position on the brothers' shoulders, the group followed behind the children, and entered the massive cavern through the archway. As for the cavern itself, it had... seen far better days. Though she'd never seen them, she could only assume that it was abnormal that there was still burnt plant matter scattered about and massive trenches and rock strewn about. _At least the metal's gone... __however that happened__. _Perhaps when Asriel took them into the strange void, everything experienced some form of mild reset? "AM I MOVING TOO FAST, ANDI?" She smiled, giving a quick glance up at Papyrus, and shook her head.

"No, it's fine. You might want to slow your pace a little though," she added, giving quick look to the shorter skeleton. " I think Sans is struggling to keep up."

"ha ha." He jostled his shoulders, making her stumble a little into the younger brother before being pulled upright again. "serious, though. are you sure you're alright?"

She didn't respond. The sunlight had hit her face, the smell of wet earth met her nose, and she shook her head after registering the new sights and senses. "Sans, I've... I've never been better."

"Oh, my..." Toriel's loss of words matched every single feeling that welled up within her chest. The ruins of a castle stood far off in the distance, surrounded by the rest of the mountain range that Mount Ebott was part of. At its base far, far below, she could make out the lights of the town; the streetlights coming on one-by-one with the disappearing sun.

"Isn't it beautiful, everyone?" She nodded, though, she didn't bother turning in Asgore's direction. It felt like centuries, since she had seen light. True, pure light. The kind that did not fall between the holes in the ground and leaked into the Underground. For Frisk, it was far longer, despite having gone through several true endings. For everyone else...

"Wow... it's e-even better than on TV," Alphys said, stunned. "WAY Better! Better than I ever imagined!"

"Frisk, you LIVE with this!?" Undyne, with an arm wrapped around the scientist's shoulders, gestured out to the scenery. "The sunlight is so nice... and the air is so fresh! I really feel alive!" She took in a deep breath, and Andi smiled at her reaction. To think, at one point, she didn't want anything to do with Undyne of the Royal Guard. That she was scared of her, and wanted to avoid her altogether.

"It's even better when the seasons change," she added, seeing the yellow eye brighten at her words. "You'd love it even more when it's spring. All of the changing flowers, and the temperature is just perfect."

"unlike the slight cold it is now," Sans added, free hand adjusting his hoodie. _Well, it is still fall. _"heh... never thought i'd actually be excited to see this again." The other sentence was a quiet mumble, and she had to check Papyrus' face to see if he had heard or not.

"SANS... WHAT'S THAT GIANT BALL?" He smiled at him, the previous comment dismissed as quickly as it came; Andi wasn't sure if the brother could see it past her head.

"we call that 'the sun', my friend." The glow of the sun bounced off his skull, and the eye lights seemed to shine brighter than when they were underground. With a gasp, Papyrus' sockets widened with nonexistent sparkles.

"THAT'S THE SUN!?" He cried, almost bouncing on his toes. "WOWIE! I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M FINALLY MEETING THE SUN!"

"I could stand here and watch this for hours..." Asgore gave the last word before a silence fell between them, and Andi let her head slump against Papyrus' shoulder with a pleased smile. The chirping of birds, which was faint within the castle's walls, was finally clear. Far below, over the tops of the trees, she could make out the quick movements of yellow and brown and even blue dart from one branch to the next. The soil under her boots was soft, squishing with the shifting of her feet. It was exactly like what she saw before, before she fell down into the Underground. How she saw the world before being swallowed up by the mountain she now stood on. _But it's better. Much better._

"Yes, it is beautiful, is it not?" Toriel smiled down at the two children, unaware of her attention. Asriel's mouth was slightly open, his eyes sparkling just as much as Papyrus' at the landscape as Frisk watched him with a pleased smile. From what Chara had told them, he really did love what brief moment he saw on other side of the barrier. His reaction, taking it all in after not seeing it in decades, was no doubt making Frisk's entire journey. "But we should really think about what comes next."

That did the trick, in bringing the two back to reality. "Oh, right. Everyone..." the group of eight turned to the king. "This is the beginning of a bright new future. An era of peace between humans and monsters." His amber eyes flickered to her, Frisk, and Asriel, and the corners of his mouth went up a little. He was not smiling was brilliantly as the others were, but Asgore shared the same emotion. The same relief, the same happiness. "Andi... I have something to ask of you."

"Yes, your M-Asgore?" His smile went further at the small slip in addressing him, recalling how she first greeted him earlier.

"Will you act as our ambassador to the humans?" **Be the ambassador? **She wasn't sure what stunned her more. The fact Chara decided to repeat the question, seeing it as something she had to do, or being asked to be the ambassador of all monsters in the first place. But her? Be the ambassador? Sh-she couldn't do that. Frisk, she-she knew so much more about the Underground. About the monsters, about their friends.

"With all due respect, Asgore, wouldn't Frisk be better suited for it?" She threw a look at said girl, confused. "Right, Frisk?"

Frisk was equally confused, and she shrugged helplessly. _You didn't think this would happen? _"ands." She turned back to Sans, hearing the nickname he had christened her with during their journey. "as much as the kid's done a lot for us, i think she deserves a break, don't you think?" He... had a point. Frisk did deserve a break. For so long, she had been working towards this very moment. She needed time to just... be a kid again. Go to school, and not have to worry about things. Still. Could she actually do it? "what do you say?"

What did she say? "I... two conditions." Sliding her arm off of Papyrus, she held up two fingers. "I can't take over right away. I still have my job at the school. Give me time to put in my notice, let them get someone to take over." _Handle a dozen or so children that will be prying for answers as to what happened to me and Frisk._

"Of course." Asgore nodded in understanding, pleased she was agreeing. "And the second?"

"I know absolutely nothing on how your society works, and I'm just as baffled as how my own operates. If I become your ambassador, I want yours and Toriel's assistance." Toriel giggled behind her hand, amused at her choice in wording. "Is that okay with you?"

"I would be happy to help you, Andi." Papyrus threw a fist in the air, giving a loud laugh.

"NYEH HEH HEH! YEAH! ANDI WILL BE THE BEST AMBASSADOR! AND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS..." trailing off, he placed a hand to his chest, the wind blowing his scarf out behind him. "WILL BE THE BEST MASCOT!"

"Without a doubt," Frisk added, giving her own giggle. Turning back to the town below, Frisk knelt down, sitting on the rocky floor and letting her legs dangle freely over the edge. "Andi, you know we're on the opposite side of the mountain, right?"

"Figured as much." The entire journey had twists and turns, to the point she knew that wherever they ended up would not be on the same side they entered. _Chara's story was evident of that. _"So... what do we do now? If we're going to integrate, we need to do this slowly. Everyone leaving at once would be a disaster."

"I-I can get Metatton to broadcast the news," Alphys suggested, raising her hand. "Perhaps we can be the first ones t-to go down, and from th-there we'll take a dozen or so a-at a time." Good, but there was still something-_wait. _Eyes flying open, she shoved her hand into her pocket. _Please, don't be broke-aha! _The phone was in one piece. Though, the screen was heavily cracked. _But who cares about that?_

"Andi?" Beaming at Frisk, she nearly shoved the device in her face. "Ahh."

"Frisk, we have been in the Underground for over a week. A week," she stressed. "Don't you think we should let them know we're-oh, I don't know-not dead?"

"O-oh!" The girl hurried to nod, and Andi slid her other arm off of Sans to begin dialing. The moment she did, her body began to fall sideways, and felt Sans grab her to keep her steady. "What are you going to tell them?" _Haven't you ever contacted them once you got out, Frisk? _Or did she wait until after the mass commotion that was soon to follow?

"How are you going to t-tell them?" How, indeed. Knowing Lois, she'd be close to screeching. Charles would definitely take it easier. Terrence, well... he'd probably be enamored with their new friends. He and Frisk shared similar personality traits, so he'd warm up to them pretty quickly.

"I, uh... I don't know. Worst case is there will be a lot of screaming and tears." The drone of a ring echoed from the speaker, and she lifted it to her ear. _Who's it going to be? _A click. Someone picked up. _Here we go. _"Um... he-"

"ANDI!?"

"Oh, god!" The phone nearly fell from her hands at the volume, and she scrambled to catch it before it made its way over the cliff's face. If she didn't have everyone's attention before, she most certainly did now. "Terrence, what the hell!?" She could hear the boy continue on as she held the phone away from her ringing ear, speaker shrieking out his frantic rushed words. "Frisk, you take over."

"What?" She tossed the phone at the younger girl, and Frisk caught it before quickly rolling it over in her hands and pressing the speaker button. "Um... Terrence?"

"Frisk!? You're alive too!?" Andi wasn't sure if she should laugh or be upset at how loud he was, but seeing Frisk's confusion on how to handle the situation did make it a little better. "Where are you guys!? Did you get kidnapped? Are you stuck on an islan-no. No, I got it. You guys found a secret underground society of mole people!"

Asriel muffled a laugh, and Sans rose a brow at the boy's rampant questions. "well... he's half right."

"Who was that? Frisk?" The child threw a look at the skeleton, frowning at his input. As far as the other child knew, they were alone. She didn't need anyone speaking up right now. "Frisk? Give one syllable if you're being held against your will, two if you're not."

"T-Terrence, I'm fine." She struggled not to laugh, putting a hand over her mouth as Frisk grinned in amusement at the device. "Just-is Charles and Lois there?"

"They should be home soon from shopping." Shopping. A chore that Andi had taken up to lighten the load for them. _I... feel a little weird hearing that._

"Terrence, listen to me." Frisk held the phone over in Andi's direction, but kept it within her hand. "When they get home, tell them to drive to the town directly on the other side of Mount Ebott, okay? It should take... maybe forty or so minutes for us to walk down." There was a road that cut through the mountain. It would take them perhaps half an hour compared to their time limit, which meant they should meet up around the same time.

"Walk?" He repeated, making sure he had heard them correctly. "You two climbed-but I thought-"

"Yes, well, the kid's persuasive. You know that. Just get here, drive around the base of the mountain, and see if there's a trail. We'll be down waiting for you." Terrence didn't speak, and she wondered if he had hung up or not. "Um... Terrence?"

"They're here. Got to go." A click, and Frisk shook her head as she stood back up and shoved the phone away.

"You think it'll take forty minutes to get down there?" Undyne asked, giving the forest a quick look. Her question did make sense. It was a very quick drop, but did appear to flatten out further down the trail. _Wherever that is. _It appeared to be more overgrown than the one on Ebott's side, which could be due to the massive hole that lead into the mountain, and the populace wanting to avoid it at all cost.

"We don't really have a choice. Either we go down that way, or we hike around the mountain." At that, the group looked behind them. Mount Ebott loomed overhead, the peak covered in layers of clouds. _How long would it take to get to the top? _"It's quicker the other way."

"Then it is best we do not wait." Toriel took Asriel and Frisk's hands, and smiled at her. "Shall we?"

* * *

Descending was, like she had predicted, long. Frisk took the lead, guiding Asriel and Toriel down the trail with a pep in her step. Asgore was right behind them, listening in to Frisk's explanation to what was new on the Surface. Short explanations, but enough to get her points across. Alphys and Undyne walked together, with Papyrus giving his input on the captain's other side.

Then there was Sans, still giving her a hand walking, with her other hand gripping her trusty hiking pole that Frisk went back to fetch for her. A severely scratched pole, due to piercing the glass of Flowey's face, and her beloved hiking bag that was discarded during said battle.

"Was it like this before? When you guys left the mountai-whoa!" Her foot slipped, and she shoved the metal end of the pole into the ground to stop herself from falling. The monster tightened his hold on her arm, pulling her back up.

"gotcha. and yeah, sort of. never had anyone waitin' for us at the other end, so that's new. but the weather's the same." The mud managed to stick to the pink fuzz of his slippers that was closer to the earth, but more-or-less kept their bright color. "would be nice if it didn't rain when you were underground."

"Sans, Frisk may be smart, but she's a kid. She's not constantly checking the weather." He did have a point though. The area was definitely waterlogged. Puddles, and small streams running down the sides of the path in naturally created ruts. A few trees were uprooted, overturned from whatever storm had passed through without their knowledge. "Though I have to admit, I'm glad I missed this."

"hmm." The ground began to flatten out, the decline making it easier to hike down. "you know," he began, waiting several seconds to respond. "we indirectly referenced the timelines back there."

"... we did, didn't we?" She adjusted his hold, and carefully stepped around a large rock jutting out from the mud. "Does this mean we'll have to explain it to them?" Sans hummed, looking off to the side for a moment in thought.

"... maybe some of it, but just enough to get the basics across. we don't need them to know all of what they're missing." Only the basics, huh? _Just like what I had learned, at the beginning. _"should be enough."

"Andi!" They looked ahead, seeing the short brown blob up ahead. "I can see the road from here!"

"Wait a safe distance from the road until you see their van!" She waved, turning her attention back to Asriel with the same eagerness. "It's going to be an interesting timeline, isn't it?"

"yep. but, y'know... i think after all this time, i might actually get to enjoy this one." She hadn't seen it often, but for the first time in a while, Sans' smile was genuine. Tired, just as she was, but happy. "what 'bout you?"

"Honestly, Sans." A dark red van slowed to a stop far below them, and she watched the doors open. Frisk broke free from Toriel's hand, and dragged Asriel the rest of the way to meet them with a laugh. "I think this is the best timeline we could ever get."

* * *

**Until next time!**

**Angel**


	24. Goodnight

**Disclaimer: Not much else to say, except thanks for reading Multiplayer!**

**I don't own Undertale!**

"Speaking"

_Thinking_

**Chara speaking**

* * *

It was quite... tiring, compared to the past timelines, due to the changes in how everyone moved out of the Underground. After the first few pacifist runs, Frisk had settled into her role as ambassador without a hitch. She knew what to say-though most of it was pre-written speeches-and Asgore and Toriel were more than ready to give her a hand. This time, however, was different. There were no tears this time. No breakdowns, crying out into the night. No, for once, Frisk... the kid could sleep in peace.

Just as he had predicted, they had enough money to purchase their house. That didn't mean that Toriel didn't buy a house that was too big for her and Frisk though. They had plenty of extra rooms for when any of them wanted to come over, and a special room for Andi when she wasn't staying at her apartment. For if she wanted to crash at her newly adoptive mother's home.

Andi. Sans chuckled, adjusting his grip on the bag in his hand. How she was handling things was far different than Frisk's methods. From her cautious explanation to government officials, trying her best not to lead them on to how determination functioned, and instead focusing on the timeline they were currently in. Frisk piped up when she got stuck, guiding her along, and managed to slow their anger at the truth of the fallen children. Of course, he knew they'd be angry. They always were, and it was a fact that would stick in the humans' minds for quite some time.

Mostly for curiosity's sake, he had accompanied Toriel to the kid's school, as the elder human had to pass in her resignation to take her new job as ambassador on full-time. Watching about sixteen fourth graders rush them, nearly tackling Frisk and Andi to the ground was definitely a sight. A few odd looks were all he received, but most of it was a combination of questions about how life was like in the Underground and how they managed to escape. Which, to Frisk's enthusiasm, had them stuck in the classroom for the rest of the afternoon retelling their story. The edited version, of course, that she, Andi, and himself had decided on. _still have to finish that, kid. you only made just made it to waterfall. _The edited version, that lacked multiple timelines, specifically one genocide timeline, and the knowledge of future events. The version that, with a few extra pieces of information, was delivered to the others.

They, of course, had trouble believing them at first. It was only until Frisk discussed information that no one had ever told her, did they come around. Alphys was stunned, scared, and amazed. Undyne felt guilty, and kept giving Andi looks when the Waterfall incident was brought up. Frisk never mentioned how many resets had been done, nor what had happened in every one. She only decided to talk about the first run-the neutral run that only brought her to the Surface, and then the pacifist timeline where Andi had joined them. Explaining to Papyrus how he could recall timelines... he wished he could've avoided that one. But if they wanted the mostly-clear image, then he had to say something... _really wish i could've skipped that._

He came to a rest at the front door, setting the bag down and rapped his knuckles against it. "knock knock," he recited. Faint shuffles came from the other side, and the door swung open to the rest of the house. "you're, uh, not very good at this game, are you, kid?"

Terrence shrugged, scooping up the bag with both of his arms, rather than grabbing the handles. "They're in the living room," he explained, backing up to let the skeleton enter the small home. "Cold food?"

"just sit it on the counter." Making sure he wasn't trudging any mud in, he followed the noise to his right, pink slippers leaving quiet thumps on the wooden floor. "heh... hey, everyone."

"Hello, Sans." Toriel smiled from her spot on the couch, Frisk's foster mother sitting beside her. On the former queen's other side, Asgore sat, a cup of tea in his hands. Undyne and Alphys sat together on the loveseat opposite of them and the coffee table, the former having an arm wrapped around the Royal Scientist. "Where is Papyrus?"

"right behind me." He may have teleported ahead, but that was only because he wanted to deliver the food sooner rather than later. "give him a few minutes. is the barbecue set up?"

"Charles is busy with-" Lois' voice was cut short, hearing an excited and loud shout from outside. "He's got it working." Footsteps echoed outside of the door, and the group turned to see Asriel and Frisk run in. Their faces were stained with smoke, fur and skin grey from the machine's startup. The young prince gave a small sneeze, wiping at the black and having the ash stain his paw. "Having fun?"

"It needs to heat up," Frisk explained, smiling at the tiny sound Asriel made. She turned to him, face brightening. "Did you bring the buns?"

"yep. hotdogs and burgs." He was ready to bring condiments over, but Frisk had assured him that they already had some. "brought somethin' else too."

"AHA!" The monsters and humans turned towards the kitchen, and the blond rushed towards them, a plastic bag tucked under his arm. Skidding to a stop, he looped an arm around him with a laugh. "See? He knows!" Letting go, Terrence took off towards the staircase, disappearing as fast as he appeared.

"... you bought him caramel, didn't you?" Sans shrugged at Frisk's nearly deadpanned question, and ruffled the top of her hair.

"ands said he'd get a kick out of it." _can see what she means by that. _He chuckled, eye lights straining from her to Asriel. "might wanna go clean up, bud. you look a little singed."

"Bathroom's down the hall." Asriel nodded, walking back past Frisk towards the room, before throwing a quick look back at Sans. Yeah, he figured he'd catch onto the pun.

"Hey, punk. Where's your sister, anyway?" Undyne unwrapped her arm from Alphys, reaching forward for her own cup of tea. "Thought she'd be here by now."

"I dunno." Frisk moved to the couch, climbing up onto the armrest next to Asgore. "She said she had to buy something, but she... left with her boots on."

"Sh-she went up Mount Ebott?" Alphys asked, surprised. Frisk didn't say it out loud, but why else would the woman leave with her hiking boots? It was the obvious conclusion. "Why would she do that?" He closed his sockets, his grin dipping a little. He knew why. A little surprised, but he knew.

"Sans?" He didn't answer Toriel, turning back around and heading towards the door of the small house. "Is everything okay?"

"we'll be back in a bit. don't wait on our account." He winked, and looked back at Frisk. The child pouted unhappily, and he motioned for her to come along. "just make sure pap doesn't hide the ketchup." The front door swung open with a bang, the force almost having the knob break the wall on the other side.

"I HAVE BROUGHT THE SPAGHETTI!" Papyrus waltzed up to them, a large Tupperware container filled with pasta. "THOUGH, I AM CONFUSED AS TO WHY IT WAS TO BE SERVED COLD, AND WITH SUCH A LACK OF SAUCE."

"Pasta salad is usually a cold dish, Papyrus." Charles hurried in behind the taller skeleton, heading straight to the kitchen. He retreated as fast as he appeared, an armful of the buns Sans had just brought in with him. "Asriel, Terrence, I'll need your help again."

"Okay, Mr. Jennings." Asriel and Terrence followed suit, the monster's face free of blackened soot and back to its normal white complexion. Asriel stopped, the older boy going past him. "Frisk, aren't you coming?"

"I-I'll be with you in a moment." Sans rested a hand on her shoulder, and he could feel her tense under her sweater. Asriel didn't appear pleased with her answer, but went along with the elder child anyway. Papyrus looked from the door to him, confused as to what was unfolding.

"BROTHER, DID I MISS SOMETHING?" He did, but it wasn't anything huge.

"nah, just us goin' out and gettin' andi. decided to take a quick hiking trip without tellin' us. we'll be back soon, bro." Lois stood up, and took the container from Papyrus. "save some for us." Fingers tightening, he teleported away from the house, leaving a possibly surprised human behind. Hehe... yeah, he'd have some explaining to do when he got back. _whoops._

Returning to reality, their vision cleared to meet the towering Ebott trees. Frisk nearly fell on her face when they made contact with the dirt, the lack of proper footwear having slipped his mind. "oops." _again. _He pulled her backwards by the back of her sweater, and she winced at the tiny rocks digging into her soles. "you wanna run back and get them?"

"N-no, I'll be... fine." Her face said otherwise. He sighed, and looked up the hill. His shortcuts had a range, and reaching the mountain was only possible due to the fact the kid's foster parents lived so close to it. All of their houses were around the base of the mountain too, but nowhere near the trail like the Jennings were. They were about two-thirds up the path, not far off from where the hole to the Ruins was located.

"alright." _guess we're goin' this route. _He moved to the front of Frisk, and knelt down. "hop on, kiddo." He hadn't given his brother a piggyback ride in years, not since the taller skeleton was shorter than him. "we're goin' on a trip."

Frisk blinked, and a happy smile and giddy laugh left her. Climbing onto the back of the skeleton, she wrapped her arms around his neck as he hoisted her up. "oof. heh, you comfy?" He looked up at her, and she grinned, nodding viciously. "okay. hang on, then."

The ground was still soft, not having dried from the rainfall from a few days ago. Frisk was quite light too, which was a blessing to how awkward it was to ascend the rest of the way. The faint chirps of birds overhead, and buzzing of insects echoed around the treeline, as the faint sight of a setting sun shone down behind their backs, warming the skeleton through his hood. Or could that be the kid's body heat...? "Hey... Sans?"

"yeah?" He adjusted his grip, and felt her tighten her hold around his neck. A little uncomfortable, but he could manage.

"Do you... still think I'm going to reset? That I'm unhappy with what I did?" His grin slipped, and eye lights dimmed at the word. Reset. Was he... afraid? Well, he certainly had said he'd forgiven her. Completely forgiven... it wasn't entirely set in stone. Not perfect, just what they had before was slowly mending. Afraid though...

"... would ya blame me if i said i was?" He asked, baritone voice surprisingly quiet.

"... no. I wouldn't blame you." They were almost at the top of the trail, the ground almost leveling out above their heads. "I'd never blame you, Sans."

"kid, you... really shouldn't say that." As much as he hated it, he had messed up too. Perhaps, if he'd spoken to her more, got her to open up, they could have figured out the right method to get the right ending sooner. Avoid the genocide timeline altogether. And even if they did end up at that point, he shouldn't have watched from the sidelines, not acting until he had to. He should have done something before she reached Snowdin. _if i did though... would she have forgiven me then? _Who knows. There were a lot of ifs, that he had stuck floating around in his head. But now, after everything, he wanted that to remain there. In the other timelines.

Frisk exhaled softly, and he felt her head thump against the back of his skull. "I know... can I come down now?" He didn't answer, but let his arms slacken, letting the kid slide off his back and land back onto the mountain. Socks hitting the dirt, she moved up alongside him, giving a rather forced smile. "Heh..."

"Well, well. We were wondering when you would show up?" We? _okay, that's not andi. _The two looked ahead, and sitting on a fallen log, staring out over the town below, Andi grinned back at them. A chocolate bar in her hand, and red eyes shining brightly. "Did we miss the meal?"

"... was this your idea or hers?" The two wandered over to Chara, who took another bite out of her treat. Munching away, the possessed woman only shrugged. "no, you didn't miss it." The log, possibly due to the altitude they were at, was dryer than a majority of the trees in the area. Sitting down alongside her, and Frisk on his other side, the three stared off down the mountain. "... nice view."

Chara struggled not to laugh, giving him an amused smirk instead. Frisk smiled at the skeleton, turning her own attention to the orange, red, and yellow scenery. "It's... a lot like the beginning," she murmured. "When we reset to the beginning, I... forgot, what it looked like."

"given the amount of resets, you'd have missed the sunlight too." He fell silent for a moment, debating on his next choice of words. "... ghosty?" The auburn hummed in response, taking a final bite of her chocolate bar. "you know a lot 'bout... what happened in the resets, right?"

"I have been joined with Frisk for so many timelines, I've lost count. What of it?" His sockets closed, and he sighed. He... was wondering, ever since Andi had brought it up in his house, before they went to meet Frisk in the hall. He wanted to know, and he knew for a fact she wanted to too. "Comedian?"

"... you wanted to save her, didn't you?" Frisk's breathing took a sudden sharp inhale, but he didn't turn to look at her. "kid, you know i know a lot about the timelines. i know when things are suppose to happen or not." He didn't remember everything, but after meeting Andi, hearing her story... something was not adding up. How was it, that after the true pacifist timelines, living on the surface for either days, weeks, or months... did he never hear of her before? "frisk, i want you to tell us the truth..." us; him, and the woman trapped within her own mind by the deceased child. "... she never got to see monsters on the surface, did she?"

Chara's own breathing quieted, her candy wrapper falling to the ground at her feet as her grip slackened. Frisk, he still didn't look at her. He couldn't, because adding that pressure to her was not what she needed. _kid? _"... S-Sans..." he didn't look at her. That didn't mean that he didn't put his hand over her own, as some form of comfort. "... sh-she... it was..."

"... early morning." Chara picked up the wrapper, shoving it into her jacket's pocket. "Frisk was missing for... a few hours. It was raining, and Mount Ebott, as you have seen is... known for its soft soil." Soft soil. Raining. Immediately, the status of the mountain's surface when they descended, having broken the barrier, made sense... he felt sick. _kid, you don't mean...? _"They didn't find her until they found out about the landslide. She mentioned to Lois and Charles that she was... going to look for Frisk. She never said where though."

Because, as the rumors have shown, whoever climbed the mountain never... "never returned." Andi... died. She died, possibly as early as Frisk entering Snowdin through the Ruins' door. Heck, maybe even earlier. "she never got to meet any of us." That's why none of Frisk's resets or loads affected her. That's why, regardless of Frisk's decisions, "nothing she did changed anything." It... made sense. It all made sense.

"Get the picture, skeleton?" Chara turned towards him, red eyes narrowed, and taking in his understanding, shock, and... horror. He-she died. She died, over, and over again, and she never even knew it. She was killed searching for Frisk, unaware she was stuck in an endless loop trying to get the best ending for them; for Asriel, for... herself. "Are you satisfied?"

"... was she listening?" Oh, god, how was she reacting to that?

"..." Chara didn't reply, only having her hands grip her jeans, nails digging into her knees. He turned to Frisk, who was staring at the ground with tears rising at the corners of her eyes. Neither of them spoke, giving him the silent treatment. _mmm... _his free hand dug into the bark of the tree under him. Should he not have said anything? She should have known at some point. Was it too soon? _idiot. _"... An-"

"Why?" The soft voice, and suddenly slumping posture, drew both his and the kid's attention to the possessed woman. Soft, and after a quick thought, was clearly not the fallen human's. "Why... did I...?"

"an-oomph!" Eyes glazed in borderline unshed tears, and he was almost knocked off the trunk as she threw her arms around him. She wasn't sobbing, no, but the emotion behind the trembling hug was very much like when she had experienced her first load from being run through by Undyne. Frisk whimpered next to him, watching her guardian struggle to not come undone from the revelation.

"Wh... why did I... I didn't... h-how...?" He couldn't easily turn his head, and take in the young girl's expression. All he could do, was bring an arm up and awkwardly hug the woman, slowly patting her back as she tried to make sense of it all. "S-Sans, I... sorry." She struggled to let go, but it was clear a part of her was fighting that. Part of her was wanting to stay there, hug something-someone for dear life. "S-sorry."

Apologizing. She was-what was she apologizing for? She didn't do anything wrong. "it's okay, ands." He wasn't blaming her. He understood her reaction, and how she was attempting to comprehend that she... she died. She died so... so many times, and never knew it. Buried under trees and rocks and mud, with bones snapped and dirt filling her lungs, suffocating her. It wasn't like Undyne, where it was quick and over. How she had died... she suffered. It was long, and... there was nobody around to hear any cries for help.

"... I... I think I knew..." she mumbled into the fur of his hood, the few tears that fell sliding down the coat and hitting his bones underneath. "I... think I knew, that... that something was wrong. Frisk, her breakdown, saving she needed to-to save me... I knew something bad happened to me." She knew. Did that mean she already figured it out, and Chara's admission was putting the nail in the coffin? Was that why her reaction wasn't as tearful as it could have been? "It wasn't just... Frisk wanting me there, to... to be with her after such an awful experience... to be with her in her final moments before she gave Asriel her soul." Her fingers curled in on his hoodie, and her tone went flat. "... one life for another."

Neither one could survive, should the other live. That was what Frisk had planned.

How the girl had managed to keep **that** secret, he had no idea. "wanna... stay there?" She shook her head, and after a few seconds, slowly released him. His hoodie was crumpled, but that was an easy fix. This, on the other hand... "guess this is 'nother thing we won't be tellin' tori, huh?" Andi didn't answer, only giving a tiny nod and sniff. _gonna take some time to move past this one. _Another silence crept around them, and he mentally kicked himself for bringing it up. Sooner rather than later? Who knows, but whenever it would've been, the reaction would have been the same.

"... what happens next?" Andi's voice was still quiet, avoiding her usual volume. "What do we do now? Do we... ignore what happened before?"

**That's all we can do. **The three turned to Chara, seeing her take a seat next to Andi. **It's not as though you three can discuss this mess with anyone freely, correct? The resets are over. What happened before, we can't change. All we can do is look forward... right? **The fallen child was confused at her words, but he offered her a smile at her attempt. She was right, and she saw the same thing he did. Everything was behind them. They were through with the deaths; the dust, and the blood. It was a new timeline. A new chance for all of them.

"you're right there, ghosty." He chuckled, and to his surprise, it turned into a full laugh. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, or the last few days blurring together, but he couldn't help himself. Or he finally lost his mind. That could've been an option too. "ha ha!" It was a rush of events since he left the Underground, but there, sitting under the night sky, the truth had managed to finally settled in. "we're out!" He was free. He had broken out of the loop.

Frisk and Andi stared at him, and the younger of the two giggled in spite of herself, her higher pitch melding with his deeper one. **I think I said the wrong thing**, Chara muttered, but smiled none-the-less. **What do you think?**

Sans and Frisk paused in their laugh-fest, turning to the recipient of the question. Andi bowed her head, blocking them from spotting her expression, until she brought it up to reveal a shy smile. Compared to when he usually saw her, it was a far cry from her normal happy appearance. But, it was a start. _time will __heal__ that too. _"I think, Chara, that the future is looking quite bright for the four of us." Time would heal all of them.

**CONTINUE.**


End file.
